The Carter Administration's Response To The Iranian Hostage Crisis

The Carter Administration’s misguided relations and interactions with the Iranian government, especially the Shah, prior to the Iranian Hostage Crisis made evident the impending nature of the hostage crisis. During the period of time during which the Shah was in power in Iran, the United States maintained strong relations with the Iranian government and the Shah, however by supporting the Shah, they supported the crimes he committed against the Iranian people. The United States’ support of the Shah is evident by the photograph in Figure 1 in which President Jimmy Carter and the Shah are shaking hands to display the strong relations between the United States and Iran. At this state dinner, Carter, in his speech, praised Iran by stating that the country was an “island of stability” that was

While it is unknown as to what occurred with every hostage during the crisis, one retired diplomat on a special assignment in Tehran, Robert C. Ode, kept a journal detailing his experience: “I strongly protested the violation of my diplomatic immunity, but these protests were ignored…Some students attempted to talk with us, stating how they didn’t hate Americans—only our U.S. government, President Carter, etc.” Ode’s description of his captivity and his captors beliefs led to an insight into the motives of the Iranians. This valuable source allows historians to understand that President Carter and the United States government were responsible for the Iranian hatred. However, Ode’s journal is limited in it’s credibility due to possible alterations of the story in response to fear or pain. In addition to the declared state of hate for the Carter Administration, the government’s poor decisions throughout an attempted rescue attempt of the hostages displayed the weakness of the United States. According to