Iran-Contra Affair

Definition

A political scandal during Ronald Reagan's second term as President where senior officials secretly facilitated arms sales to Iran (which was under an arms embargo) with hopes to fund Contras in Nicaragua.

Related terms

Ronald Reagan: The 40th President of the United States who served from 1981 to 1989, during which the Iran-Contra Affair occurred.

Arms Embargo: A restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry, or also related technology and goods.

Contras: Nicaraguan rebel groups that were active from 1979 throughout the 1980s opposing the socialist Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government in Nicaragua.