The Iranian Student who Lead the 1979 Takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, Which Resulted in a 444-Day Hostage Crisis, Says He Regrets the Attack

The Iranian student who lead the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, which resulted in a 444-day hostage crisis, says he regrets the attack. The student leader, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, said he regretted the attack due to the repercussions from it that still effect the relationship between the US and Iran. Asgharzadeh disputed the history that states that the Revolutionary Guard directed the attack and cautioned against future generations from following in his footsteps. The 1979 US Embassy takeover was rooted in Iranian anger over the 1953 CIA coup that toppled Iran's duly elected leader and cemented Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's power in the country. At first, some students wanted to takeover the Soviet Embassy in Tehran due to leftist political violence at the time, but ultimately settled on the US Embassy hoping to pressure US President Jimmy Carter to return the Shah, who fled to Washington after being overthrown and to seek medical attention, for a corruption trial. The Iranian government and people eventually placed their support behind the Embassy takeover and it became a rallying cry against the US instead of what it was initially meant to be, which was a demand for the US to send the Shah back to Iran. Since the Embassy takeover, Asgharzadeh has become a reformist politician in Iran and has served prison time for his views.      

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iran-student-leader-regrets-1979-us-embassy-attack-66706320?cid=clicksource_76_null_articleroll_hed

-Alex Kitzmann