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Given the CIA's long history in interfering in Iran's governmental affairs, it's kind of unfair to pin the ultimate blame of our poor relations with that country on Carter.
Yes, the hostage rescue was a big mess, but we were screwing around with Iran since 1952:
Britain, resentful of the nationalization of Iran's oil industry, came up with the idea for a coup in 1952 and pressed the U.S. to mount a joint operation to remove the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh and install the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi to rule Iran autocratically.
Partially due to fear of a Communist overthrow due to increasing influence of the Communist Tudeh party, and partly to gain control of a larger share of Iranian oil supplies, the US agreed.
Brigadier General Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr. and CIA guru Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. were ordered to begin a covert operation to overthrow Mossadegh.
A complex plot, codenamed Operation Ajax, was conceived and executed from the US Embassy in Tehran.
from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Iran
