Moorhead C. Kennedy Jr., a U.S. Embassy official in Tehran in 1979, was taken hostage during the Iranian Revolution. After his release, he became a critic of U.S. foreign policy. He believed that the West's failure to understand and respect Islamic culture led to the hostage crisis and could provoke future terrorism. Kennedy's experiences shaped his views on U.S. policy and led him to establish an organization promoting international understanding. He passed away in May 2023.