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.

---

Example Sentences

“These artists were geniuses at shaking up what was happening in the ‘80s and ‘90s to produce an Iranian version of it. This music was meant to be heard at a party while dancing and drinking in Tehrangeles, but it also provided solace during the Islamic revolution, the Iraq war and the Iran-Contra affair. For citizens of Iran, this was giving hope as bombs were literally falling.”

From Los Angeles Times

When the Reagan White House came under investigation for the Iran-Contra Affair, a Republican judge named Lawrence Walsh was appointed by a three-judge panel under the new independent counsel statute.

From Salon

During the Iran-contra affair in President Ronald Reagan’s second term, Walsh was appointed to probe secret arms sales to Iran and the diversion of money to rebel forces fighting the Nicaraguan government.

From Seattle Times

That was the year the columnist Michael Kelly made a splash by inviting Fawn Hall, a woman who played a prominent role in the ongoing Iran-contra affair.

From Washington Post

During the Iran-contra affair, former White House aide Oliver North’s assertion that the second statute did not cover presidential records was rejected by a court.

From Washington Post