Iran

In the mid-1980s, the United States was embroiled in a complex political scandal known as the Iran-Contra Scandal. Despite a congressional ban, the Reagan administration attempted to fund anti-Sandinista rebels (Contras) in Nicaragua while also negotiating the release of American hostages held by Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon. Secret arms transactions to Iran were launched with the intention of funding the Contras’ anti-government insurgency.