The embassy break-in and hostage taking is especially heinous when viewed as occurring in a vacuum. It would be beyond outrageous.

In context, it was still a violation of international laws. And, frankly, had I been an Iranian ruler I would have put those folks on trial and half of them, the CIA operatives, would have been shot.

That did not happen in a vacuum, it happened as the result of years of American sponsored repression of the people, starting with the overthrow of Mohammed Mosedegh and the installation of the Shah in order to gain easier access to oil.

America's hands are dirty. America is over there, doing ugly things to them and if they retaliate one can't blame them. One can blame the US for being over there, committing repeated acts of war against them.

This is not a case of quid pro quo. It's a case of aggression, a larger, more powerful country against a weaker one with valuable resources.