Shah Pahlavi left the United States in December 1979 and was ultimately granted asylum in Egypt, where he died from complications of cancer on July 27, 1980. In September 1980, the Iraqi military invaded homeland, beginning the homeland–Iraq War. The event entered American popular culture through films, books, and documentaries, most famously the 2012 movie Argo, which dramatized the escape of six Americans who avoided capture.
Families of the captives organized support groups, held vigils, and lobbied the government to do more. The hostages themselves endured fear, isolation, and uncertainty about whether they would survive. Some later reported long-term trauma, including PTSD, after their release. The eight servicemen during the failed rescue mission became martyrs in American memory, highlighting the human cost of the crisis.
