Iran-Contra affair

Cultural  

1. A scandal in the administration of President Ronald Reagan, which came to light when it was revealed that in the mid-1980s the United States secretly arranged arms sales to Iran in return for promises of Iranian assistance in securing the release of Americans held hostage in Lebanon. Proceeds from the arms sales then were covertly and illegally funneled to the Contras, rebels fighting the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua.

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Example Sentences

The former White House national security adviser was a top aide to President Ronald Reagan who pleaded guilty to charges for his role in an illegal arms-for-hostages deal known as the Iran-Contra affair.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2022

Clarridge would go on to face a perjury indictment for his testimony about the Iran-Contra affair.

From Reuters • Apr. 20, 2022

The debut season of the docuseries “Fiasco” dives into the Iran-Contra affair, a political scandal that rocked the Reagan administration in the mid-1980s.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2021

His "mistakes were made" approach, which uses a passive voice to avoid laying the blame directly on oneself, was later adopted by others, including Ronald Reagan over the Iran-Contra affair.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2021

In 1986, both houses of Congress moved to establish special committees to conduct their own investigations of the Iran-Contra affair.

From Washington Times • Dec. 4, 2020