Was the Iranian President-Elect One of the Tehran Embassy Captors?

CNN reports that several former hostages of the 444-day US embassy hostage crisis in Iran believe that Iranian president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as one of their captors. Other reports stated that he was believed to have acted in a capacity akin to chief of security for the hostage-takers. The aides of the president-elect have denied the allegations and former members of the hostage-takers have also denied his involvement.

Although, as a legal matter, the US and Iran had viewed the Iran hostage crisis as a closed matter (but for the claims being resolved before the Iran-US Claims Tribunal), as a political matter this may further sour diplomatic relations and make some sort of detente more difficult.

Stay tuned…