Iran-Contra Affair

The 1980s scandal over secret arms sales to Iran and aid to Nicaraguan rebels

Overview

In 1985 and 1986 officials of the Reagan administration secretly sold missiles to Iran, then under an arms embargo, hoping to free American hostages held in Lebanon, and National Security Council staffer Oliver North diverted part of the proceeds to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua despite a congressional ban on such aid. Exposed by a Lebanese magazine in November 1986, the affair led to televised hearings, the Tower Commission and an independent counsel investigation that charged fourteen people. Several convictions were overturned on appeal, and President George H W Bush pardoned six officials in 1992.