▁administration ▁as ▁it ▁continued . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁rescue ▁the ▁host ages , ▁Carter ▁launched ▁Operation ▁E agle ▁Cla w ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁The ▁operation ▁was ▁a ▁total ▁dis aster , ▁and ▁it ▁ended ▁in ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁eight ▁American ▁soldiers . ▁The ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁operation ▁strength ened ▁Ay atol lah ▁K hom ene i ' s ▁position ▁in ▁Iran ▁and ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁Carter ' s ▁domestic ▁standing . ▁Carter ▁was ▁de alt ▁another ▁blow ▁when ▁V ance , ▁who ▁had ▁consist ently ▁opposed ▁the ▁operation , ▁res igned . ▁Iran ▁refused ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁host ages ▁until ▁Ira q ▁launched ▁an ▁invasion ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁With ▁Al ger ia ▁serving ▁as ▁an ▁inter medi ary , ▁negoti ations ▁continued ▁until ▁an ▁agreement ▁was ▁reached ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁In ▁return ▁for ▁re le asing ▁the ▁ 5 2 ▁capt ives , ▁Iran ▁accepted ▁over ▁$ 7 ▁billion ▁in ▁mon et ary ▁compens ation ▁and ▁the ▁un free zing ▁of ▁Iran ian ▁assets ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Iran ▁waited ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁capt ives ▁until ▁hours ▁after ▁Carter ▁left ▁office ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁Latin ▁America ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁treat ies ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Pan ama ▁had ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁c ede ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Pan ama ▁Canal . ▁The ▁b ipart