Video: Inside Iran's Museum of American Espionage

"Here we have an apple with the CNN logo. The Twin Towers interspersed with the dollar sign. The Statue of Liberty. This is one of the most photographed walls, probably in all of Tehran. Americans know this as the former U.S. compound. But to Iranians, this is known as the U.S. Den of Espionage Museum. And of course, what happened here is at the root of the hostility between the U.S. and Iran for over four decades."

"On November 4, 1979, Iranian students stormed the embassy, fearing the U.S. planned to restore the Shah, or king, who had been deposed months earlier. They held 52 hostages for a total of 444 days. [Voiceover] The students had restricted outside contacts with the hostages. So far they'd refused to forward letters to their captors. How can you call these hostages? These people are political smugglers."

Tehran’s former U.S. embassy serves as a Museum of American Espionage featuring anti-American murals and symbols like an apple with the CNN logo, the Twin Towers with a dollar sign, and the Statue of Liberty. The site embodies the long-running animosity that began with Iranian students storming the compound on November 4, 1979, holding 52 hostages for 444 days amid fears of U.S. plans to restore the deposed Shah. Six C.I.A. officers were among those detained. Recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in June reignited tensions, killed hundreds, and prompted restricted foreign journalistic access while officials allowed limited visits to the museum.

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