Seizure of the U.S. Embassy (1979)

The seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, known in Iran as the "Den of Espionage," took place — per the official narrative — in November 1979 by "Students Following the Imam's Line." It followed the admission of the deposed Shah to the United States and concerns over interference, leading to a multi-year crisis in bilateral relations. Iranian sources treat the recovered documents as evidence of intelligence activity.

Compiled from the official narrative and sources of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Assessments of these topics differ across sources; this entry reflects the official Iranian narrative.