Iran-Contra Scandal

The Iran-Contra scandal came to light in November 1986, when it was revealed that the National Security Council (NSC) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had undertaken secret arms sales to Iran. The profits from the sale of American weapons were funneled to rebel Contra forces in Nicaragua. Officially, the United States was an active partner in a worldwide weapons embargo on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Additionally, several acts of Congress prohibited U.S. support of the Nicaraguan Contras.

Iran: The Problem

Iran’s radical clerical regime had a direct hand in a series of anti-American actions that began in November 1979, when Iranian students and militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and captured 52 American diplomatic personnel. Iranians held these Americans hostage for 444 days, before releasing ...

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