CLEP US History II

Answer: C - Operation Eagle Claw was the military response to the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. In November of that year, Islamist students and militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 embassy workers hostage. President Jimmy Carter authorized Operation Eagle Claw in April 1980, sending eight helicopters to rescue the hostages. A combination of logistical failures and Iranian discovery led to the failure of the mission as the American forces attempted to initiate the rescue stage of the operation. In response, Iran scattered the hostages across the country to make subsequent rescue attempts nearly impossible. The hostages were finally released on their 444th day of captivity, immediately after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the new President of the United States.