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 second category on U.S. options, with links to the other four topics:
- First Responses
- Options (full report below)
- Negotiations
- Rescue Mission
- Covert and Overt Operations
Related Material: “The Carter Administration”
Options
74. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
75. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter
76. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter
77. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
81. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
82. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
83. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
84. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
90. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter
91. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
95. Telegram From Secretary of State Vance to the Department of State and the White House
96. Report Prepared in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research
97. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
98. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
100. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
102. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
103. Memorandum of Conversation
104. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
107. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
110. Record of a Special Coordination Committee (Intelligence) Meeting
115. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
116. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Christopher to President Carter
118. Summary of Conclusion of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
120. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
121. Draft Annex B (Intelligence) to JTF Oplan I–80 (Operation Rice Bowl)
122. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
123. Memorandum of Conversation
124. Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Lake) to Secretary of State Vance
125. Handwritten Note From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to Secretary of State Vance