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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Iran-Contra affair

Ronald Reagan tried as well, and the Iran-Contra affair sprung from misguided hopes of getting the regime to free other U.S. hostages, and from there move past hostility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Other prominent investigations led by special counsels looked at weapons sales in the Iran-Contra affair during the Reagan Administration and the real estate and land deals of the Whitewater controversy during the Clinton administration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2023

A secretary in Ronald Reagan’s administration, Fawn Hall, testified that she altered and helped shred documents related to the Iran-Contra affair to protect Oliver North, her boss at the White House National Security Council.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 4, 2022

He was convicted for lying to Congress about his role in the Iran-Contra affair.

From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2022

When National Security Council staffer Oliver North enthusiastically testified in favor of President Ronald Reagan in the Iran-Contra affair, he became a darling of conservatives, launching a new career as media personality and political activist.

From Reuters ● Nov. 14, 2019