Explore the Iran Hostage Crisis through Its Iconic Images

And the words of the hostages who survived 444 days of captivity.

Taken Hostage: Trailer

Opening Title

Watch the opening sequence of Taken Hostage.

Ways A Rescue Mission Can Go Wrong

On April 24, 1980, after 172 days of captivity, a U.S. Armed Forces operation attempted to rescue the hostages. Colonel James Q. Roberts recalls the details of the failed mission.

Who's Who

Who's who from the Iran Hostage Crisis, including Mary Ebtekar and Barry Rosen.

Jimmy Carter

President Jimmy Carter confronted one of the most significant challenges of his presidency during the Iran hostage crisis.

Barry Rosen

Barry Rosen was the press attaché at the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis. He first visited Iran in 1967 on a two-year Peace Corps mission and fell in love with the country.

Hilary Brown

Hilary Brown was the first female foreign correspondent at ABC News. Her coverage included first-hand reports on the fall of Saigon, the Rwandan genocide, and the Iranian Revolution.

The Shah

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran consolidated power after a CIA-backed coup in 1953 overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. 

Snapshot: America in the 1970s

From Jimmy Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech to the Hostage Crisis, here's a look at each year from 1970 to 1979.

Operation Ajax

The secret plan by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) to overthrow Iran's democratically elected government and its Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

Fatal Flood: Chapter 1

Watch a preview of Fatal Flood.