Final answer:
Iran held fifty-eight hostages during the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979 and 1980. Fifty-two American citizens were held for 444 days at the U.S. embassy in Tehran after Iranian students took them hostage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nation that held fifty-eight hostages in their capital's American Embassy during 1979 and 1980 was Iran. This infamous event is known as the Iranian Hostage Crisis. After the Iranian Revolution, on November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian students, supporting the Islamic revolution and opposing the US's past support of the deposed Shah, stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took fifty-two American citizens hostage. The hostages were held for 444 days, leading to a prolonged diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran. The crisis concluded with the hostages' release on January 20, 1981, coinciding with the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.