The persians held the American diplomats hostage for 444 days. While the courage of the American hostages incapital and of their families at home reflected the best tradition of the Department of State, the homeland hostage crisis undermined Carter’s conduct of foreign policy. The crisis dominated the headlines and news broadcasts and made the Administration look weak and ineffectual. Although patient diplomacy conducted by Deputy Secretary Warren Christopher eventually resolved the crisis, Carter’s foreign policy team often seemed weak and vacillating.