President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter visit to Iran occurred in December of 1977. The visit for the First Family was part of a larger overseas tour, with the Carters celebrating New Years Eve in Iran with the Shah. At the time of the Carter’s visit, Iran was considered a reliable ally to the US, and President Carter praised the Shah’s leadership in his New Years Eve speech. Mahnaz Afkhami was designated as an official host to the Carters’.