Switzerland Iran Hostage Taking Message Usa, 1980 (b/w photo)

Handing over of the American corpses after the failure of the US military action to free the hostages, taken on May 6, 1980 at Zurich-Kloten airport. Since the occupation of the US embassy building in Tehran by students on 4 November 1979, 66 embassy staff (13 of whom were later released prematurely) have been held host. The USA's futile attempt to free the hostages claimed eight lives in April 1980. The collision between a helicopter and an airplane put an early end to the liberation action. The USA reacted to the hostage-taking with an import ban on Iranian oil, the breaking off of diplomatic relations, and a trade embargo. One day after the conclusion of an Iranian-American agreement, the hostages were released on 20 January 1981 after 444 days.