Timeline of the Iran-Contra Affair

The events leading to the Reagan administrations illegal deals to sell weapons to Iran in order to fund the Contras in Nicaragua unfolded over several years. The Contras were a paramilitary group fighting against the fairly elected leftist Sandinista government. The U.S had imposed an embargo against Iran after Islamic fundamentalists had taken American hostages in Tehran in 1979. The ensuing scandal engulfed the Reagan administration. July 1979 November 1979 January 1981 December 1981 August 1982 1982 1984 Sandinista guerillas overthrow a right-wing dictatorship in Nicaragua Islamic militants take 52 Americans hostage inside the U.S. embassy in Iran U.S. passes an embargo against selling weapons to Iran President Ronald Reagan assumes office; Iranian hostages released the same day Reagan signs an executive order to authorize a covert C.I.A. operation to support the Contras, a right-wing rebel group who seek to overthrow the leftist Sandinista government of Nicaragua U.S. Marines land in Lebanon to stabilize the government following an Israeli invasion to oust the Palestinian Liberation Organization headquartered in Lebanon Evidence of U.S. efforts to overthrow the Sandinistas leaks out in the press, including C.I.A. sabotage manuals Congress passes Boland Amendments, barring the use of federal money to overthrow the Nicaraguan government Hezbollah, a political paramilitary group backed by Iran, begins taking hostages in Lebanon to protest the imprisonment by American-backed governments of their allies in other parts of the Middle East Sandinista candidates win national elections in Nicaragua Reagan approves National Security Advisor Robert McFarlanes idea to negotiate with Iran for the release of Hezbollahs hostages Reagan administration officials secretly negotiate to sell weapons to Iran in exchange for help securing the release of American hostages in Lebanon Oliver North, now National Security Adviser, proposes diverting $12 million from the sale of weapons to Iran to fund the Contras in Nicaragua McFarlane, now a private consultant to the White House, and North secretly fly to Iran with spare parts for missiles The Attorney General discloses the Iran-Contra connection Reagan announces the firing of North and the resignation of other officials involved in the scandal Congress holds a series of investigations, brings down indictments and hears appeals In December 1992, President George H. W. Bush pardons six people involved in the scandal, including McFarlane

1983 November 1984 February 1985 September 1985 April 1986 May 1986 November 1986 1987 1992

Source: American Social history Project/Center for Media and Learning, 2010.