Iran has been a staunch adversary of the U.S. since the 1979 overthrow of the shah and the subsequent hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy, which lasted 444 days. The Iranian regime has since been linked to numerous acts of terrorism against Americans, with former Reagan Justice Department Chief of Staff Mark Levin citing at least 44 instances of aggression. This hostility originated in the 1960s with clashes between the U.S.-backed shah and Islamic cleric Ruhollah Khomeini, leading to the establishment of a theocratic government that remains anti-American.
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