On August 19, 1980, a group of armed militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. The siege lasted for over 400 days, becoming a symbol of the U.S.-Iran crisis. The event strained U.S.-Iran relations, which had been deteriorating since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The hostages were eventually released on January 20, 1981, after the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. The incident significantly influenced U.S. foreign policy and the regions geopolitical landscape.