On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian students calling themselves the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line stormed the US Embassy in Tehran. The students claimed that with the 1953 coup in mind, they were worried that the United States would attempt to plot a coup against the Islamic revolution from within the embassy.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution, expressed his support for the students, and 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days. Relations between the United States and one of its greatest allies in the region at the time took a drastic turn, marking the start of 35 years of animosity and hostility.