Part IV: 1979 Hostage Crisis – Rescue Mission

On November 17, the Office of the State Department Historian released its records on the hostage affair. Students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 to protest the Carter administration’s decision to take in the ailing former shah for medical treatment. Student leaders later said their intention was to hold the embassy for a few days, but 52 Americans ended up being held for 444 days. U.S.-Iran relations have never recovered from the crisis. The U.S. records were categorized into five topics. This piece covers the fourth category on the rescue mission, with links to the other four topics:

• First Responses
• Options 
• Negotiations 
• Rescue Mission (full report below)
• Covert and Overt Operations

Related Material: “The Carter Administration”

 

Rescue Mission

204. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

205. Paper Prepared in the National Foreign Assessment Center, Central Intelligence Agency

206. Memorandum for the Files

207. Telegram From the Embassy in Switzerland to the Department of State

208. Telegram From the Embassy in Switzerland to the Department of State

209. Draft Letter From the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) to Iranian President Bani-Sadr

210. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

211. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

212. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

213. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

214. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

215. Memorandum from the White House Chief of Staff (Jordan) and the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State (Raphel) to President Carter and Secretary of State Vance

216. Telegram From the Embassy in Panama to the Department of State

217. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

218. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance

219. Editorial Note

220. Message From the U.S. Government to Iranian President Bani-Sadr

221. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

222. Editorial Note

223. Message From President Carter to Japanese Prime Minister Ohira

224. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter

225. Message From the Swiss Chargé d’Affaires in Iran (Kaiser) to the Department of State

226. Message From the Swiss Chargé d’Affaires in Iran (Kaiser) to the Department of State

227. Message From the U.S. Government to Iranian President Bani-Sadr

228. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State

229. Paper Prepared in the Department of State

230. Paper Prepared by the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)

231. Record of a National Security Council Meeting

232. Paper Prepared in the Defense Intelligence Agency

233. Record of an Oval Office Meeting

234. Editorial Note

235. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

236. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

237. Paper Prepared in the Department of State

238. Draft Message From the U.S. Government to Iranian President Bani-Sadr and Iranian Foreign Minister Ghotbzadeh

239. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Secretary of State Vance

240. Draft Message From the U.S. Government to the Iranian Government

241. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron) to President Carter

242. Message From the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang) to the Department of State

243. Memorandum of Conversation

244. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

245. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

246. Editorial Note

247. Memorandum of Conversation

248. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

249. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee (Implementation) Meeting

250. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

251. Memorandum From Robert D. Blackwill of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

252. Memorandum From Paul Henze of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

253. Memorandum of Conversation

254. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

255. Editorial Note

256. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

257. Memorandum From Fritz Ermarth of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

258. Memorandum From Marshall Brement and Stephen Larrabee of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)

259. Message From the Department of State to the Swiss Ambassador to Iran (Lang)

260. Intelligence Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

261. Editorial Note

262. Memorandum Prepared by the Iran Working Group

263. Telegram From the Commander of the Joint Task Force (Vaught) to the Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force at Masirah (Gast) 

264. Telegram From ALFA/J–2 to the Joint Task Force Intelligence Officer (Mattingly) Aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz

265. Editorial Note

266. Chart Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

267. After Action Report

268. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Switzerland

269. Editorial Note