Timeline of the Iran–Contra affair facts for kids

The Iran–Contra affair was a big political problem in the United States that became public in November 1986. During the time Ronald Reagan was president, some important government officials secretly helped sell weapons to Iran. This was against the rules because the U.S. had an arms embargo (a ban on selling weapons) to Iran. Some U.S. officials also hoped that selling these weapons would help free American people who were being held as hostages. Another goal was to use money from the weapon sales to help a group called the Contras in Nicaragua. However, a law called the Boland Amendment said that the U.S. government could not give more money to the Contras.

What Happened: A Timeline of Events

This timeline shows the main events of the Iran-Contra affair.

1984: The Start of Secret Talks

• 12 October 1984: The U.S. Congress passed a law that stopped military help for the Contras.
• Late 1984: An Iranian arms dealer named Manucher Ghorbanifar talked with officials from Israel. They discussed ways to open secret talks between Iran and Western countries. Ghorbanifar said many Iranian officials wanted to be more friendly with the West. He believed selling weapons was needed to gain influence with Iran's leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.

1985: Weapons for Hostages and Secret Funding

• April 1985: Michael Ledeen, a consultant for the United States National Security Council, met with Ghorbanifar in Israel. He learned that Ghorbanifar had good connections with some Iranian officials.
• 3 May 1985: Ledeen met with Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres to discuss Iran and weapon sales. They agreed it would be good for both Israel and the United States to talk with Iran.
• 3 July 1985: David Kimche, an Israeli official, visited Washington D.C. He told Robert McFarlane, a U.S. official, that Iranian officials wanted to start talking with the United States. Kimche believed these talks could lead to the release of American hostages held in Lebanon.
• 13 July 1985: McFarlane talked with President Reagan about Kimche's ideas. President Reagan gave the go-ahead to continue with the talks.
• 6 August 1985: Kimche told McFarlane that selling 500 TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran could help free the American hostages. McFarlane told President Reagan about this plan. President Reagan approved the idea of Israel sending weapons to Iran.
• 20 August 1985: Israel sent 96 American-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran. Hours later, a group called Islamic Jihad released one American hostage, Reverend Benjamin Weir, in Lebanon.
• 4 December 1985: Robert McFarlane resigned from his position.
• 4 December 1985: Oliver North, a military aide, suggested a new plan for selling weapons to Iran. This plan involved selling weapons directly from the U.S., not through Israel. A part of the money from these sales would secretly go to the Contras in Nicaragua. North suggested adding a $15 million markup to the price.
• 6 December 1985: Oliver North told Israeli defense officials that future money from weapon sales would help the Contras.

1986: The Scandal Comes to Light

• 17 February 1986: 500 more TOW missiles were sent to Iran.
• 24 May 1986: More TOW missiles and Hawk anti-aircraft missile parts were sent.
• 25 May 1986: McFarlane, North, and other officials flew to Tehran, Iran, with Hawk missile parts. They met with Iranian officials for four days. They tried to get the American hostages released, but they were not successful.
• 29 July 1986: An Israeli official, Amiram Nir, told Vice President Bush about the latest details of the weapons-for-hostage deal.
• 5 October 1986: A plane delivering supplies to the Contras was shot down in Nicaragua. Eugene Hasenfus was the only person who survived.
• 28 October 1986: 500 more TOW missiles were sent.
• 3 November 1986: A Lebanese magazine called Ash-Shiraa revealed the secret weapon sales. This happened after an Iranian person, Mehdi Hashemi, leaked the information.
• 4 November 1986: After the secret operation was exposed, Vice President George H. W. Bush wrote in his diary that he knew "fully the details" of the Iran weapon operation. However, in public, he said he was "out of the loop" and had no direct role.
• 26 November 1986: The Tower Commission was created to investigate the affair.
• 19 December 1986: Lawrence Walsh was chosen to be the special lawyer to investigate the Iran-Contra affair.

1987: Investigations and Reports

• 26 February 1987: The Tower Commission gave its report to the president.
• 5 May 1987: Congressional hearings (public meetings by lawmakers) began to investigate the affair.
• 6 August 1987: The Congressional hearings ended.
• 18 November 1987: The Congressional Committees investigating the Iran-Contra Affair published their report.

1993: Final Report

• 4 August 1993: The final report from the special lawyer investigating the Iran-Contra affair was published.