Historical Inquiry into Early Release of Black American Hostages in 1979 Iran Crisis

In the 1979 hostage crisis, why did Iran free 10 Black Americans before the others?

Sgt James Hughes was one of the hostages released early. With US-Iran relations once again in the spotlight, he talks about being ‘handcuffed, under armed guard’ Since the United States launched a joint military campaign with Israel on Iran in February, many commentators and historians have revisted a chapter of modern history: the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. On 4 November, a student demonstration outside the US embassy in Tehran erupted into an all-out assault on the compound, and 66 Americans...

By Andrew Lawrence