On September 25, 1980, Iranian militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage. The siege lasted for 444 days, becoming a major diplomatic crisis between the United States and Iran. The hostages were subjected to physical and psychological abuse during their captivity. The event exacerbated tensions between the two nations and led to the severing of diplomatic ties. The hostages were finally released on January 20, 1981, just after President Ronald Reagans inauguration.