On Sunday, protesters in Iran gathered outside the former U.S. embassy in Tehran to mark the 45th anniversary of the 1979 hostage crisis, an incident that has shaped U.S.-Iran relations for decades. The crisis began in November 1979 after the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, overthrowing the Western-backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.
At one point during the crisis, Iranian students stormed the embassy, took 52 American staff members hostage, and held them captive for 444 days. The students wanted the deposed Shah, who was getting medical treatment in the United States, to be extradited to Iran. That move led to a rift between Washington and Tehran over the severance of diplomatic ties in 1980. To date, this remains an unhealed rift.
At the anniversary rally, demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Death to Israel, Death to America!” in front of the building, now a museum called the “Den of Spies.” The site is adorned with powerful anti-American murals that reflect the sentiments of the Iranian public. Demonstrators also burned flags of both Israel and the United States, an act that has been part of these annual protests that have been a fixture in Iranian society since 1979.
The backdrop to this year’s event has been marked by rising regional tensions, particularly in the wake of the recent outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. This one erupted when Hamas, a militant group from Palestine, made an unprecedented attack on Israel and resulted in a sharp response from Israel in military action.
Israel, being a trusted ally of the U.S. and longtime enemy of Iran, has been conducting particularly aggressive military operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since the start of hostilities.
Following the escalation, Israeli launched airstrike missions over Iranian’s military buildings and establishments within Iran’s boarder on October 26th following another attack said to have come from Iran with targeting attacks on Israel, it issues warnings of both parties saying that their attacks against others are calling the latter restraint.
Aggresive Response of Iran Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a robust response to the issue. He vowed to unleash a major retaliation against Israel and America for their so-called atrocities.Recently while addressing Iranian students in Tehran, the Supreme Leader Khamenei said, “The enemies, both the USA and the Zionist regime, should know that they will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response to what they are doing against Iran, the Iranian nation and the resistance front”.
This celebratory event coincides with a politically important time, happening just in time for the U.S. elections with former President Donald Trump competing against the current Vice President Kamala Harris. The implications of U.S. foreign policy towards Iran remain a crucial topic in American political discourse, reflecting the enduring complexities of the relationship between the two nations.
The historical hostage crisis still resonates in the heart of Iran, where the country continues to live up to that narrative of resistance against foreigners, especially the United States, where the event took place. This anniversary is not merely a remembrance of an event but also a continued expression of grievances and longstanding tensions in the region as it stands today.