On November 4, 1979, the U.S. had been overrun by an angry mob of young Islamic revolutionaries. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were being held hostage, taking more than 60 Americans hostage. Ever since the oil was found in1908 Iran attracted interest from the west. One of the causes of this was President Jimmy Carter’s decision to allow Iran’s deposed Shah to come to the United States for cancer treatment. Shah was a pro-Western autocrat who was expelled from his country a few months before this hostage began. Another cause was the students wanted to put an end to American interference and wanted to declare a break with Iran’s past. It was also a way to raise Iran’s international profile of the leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was and anti-American. After 444 days of the Americans being held hostage, they were finally let go.