Ronald Reagan on Iran
TL;DR
Ronald Reagan engaged in secret arms sales to Iran to secure the release of American hostages and fund Nicaraguan rebels.
Key Points
In February 1987, he issued a statement urging a negotiated end to the Iran-Iraq War, supporting 'Operation Staunch' to stop arms sales to Iran.
He initially denied in November 1986 that his administration had traded arms for hostages, but later admitted the arms sales to Iran had occurred.
The president asserted in August 1987 that he was aware of third-country funding for the Nicaraguan resistance but claimed he did not know about the diversion of arms-sale funds to the Contras.
Summary
Ronald Reagan's official position regarding the nation of Iran was strongly colored by the 1979 hostage crisis and the subsequent Iran-Contra affair. His administration maintained a formal policy of an arms embargo against Iran, especially while it was at war with Iraq, and he publicly vowed never to negotiate with terrorists holding Americans captive. However, driven by a commitment to free the seven American hostages held in Lebanon by groups with Iranian ties, he approved a covert initiative to sell arms to Iran in the hope it would secure their release. This directly violated stated administration policy and campaign promises.
The implications of this policy were profound, as the profits from these arms sales were illegally diverted to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, a major foreign policy objective for the president. While he endorsed private and third-country efforts to fund the resistance fighters, he later stated in a national address that he did not know about the diversion of those specific arms-sale profits. The resulting Iran-Contra affair severely damaged public perception of his honesty and oversight, despite his ultimate popularity rebounding before he left office, and it raised significant questions about executive accountability regarding Iran and its proxies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ronald Reagan's official policy generally involved maintaining an arms embargo against Iran, especially due to its sponsorship of terrorism and its war with Iraq. However, this official stance was compromised by the secret arms-for-hostages negotiations conducted by elements within his administration.
Initially, the president vehemently denied that his administration had engaged in an arms-for-hostages exchange. He later reversed this, admitting that the initial initiative involved selling arms to Iran to secure the release of American hostages, though he denied it was a formal trade.
The connection arose from the Iran-Contra affair, where profits from the secret arms sales to Iran were illegally diverted to fund the Contras fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The president claimed he did not know about this specific diversion of funds.
Sources6
Address to the Nation on the Iran Arms and Contra Aid Controversy and Administration Goals
The Iran-Contra Affair | American Experience | Official Site | PBS
Reagan and the Iran-Contra Scandal
The Iran-Contra Affair
Lingering Questions on President Reagan's Role in the Iran-Contra Scandal
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.