, United States (USA) (American Colonies)
1986 - Iran-Contra scandal breaks

The Iran-Contra scandal was a major political scandal in the United States during the second term of the Reagan administration. It involved two covert operations that were run out of the White House.

The first part of the scandal involved the sale of weapons to Iran, which was under an arms embargo at the time. The Reagan administration hoped that by selling weapons to Iran, they could secure the release of several American hostages who were being held in Lebanon by Hezbollah, a militant group with ties to Iran.

The second part of the scandal involved the diversion of proceeds from the arms sales to Iran to fund the Contras, a rebel group fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The Contras were backed by the United States, but Congress had passed a law, the Boland Amendment, which prohibited the US government from providing military aid to the Contras.

When news of the Iran-Contra scandal broke in November 1986, it caused a major political crisis for the Reagan administration. Several administration officials, including National Security Council member Oliver North, were implicated in the scandal.

In the end, several officials were indicted, but most convictions were later overturned on appeal or pardoned. The scandal tarnished the reputation of the Reagan administration and raised questions about the use of executive power and the role of Congress in foreign policy.

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