There are few Georgians with a deeper understanding of the complex political calculations behind Tuesday's historic accord with Iran than Joe Hall and Bill Daugherty.
They are two of the 52 Americans who were held hostage by the Islamic regime in 1979 after a group of Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. They were released 444 days later, only after Ronald Reagan was sworn into office.
Hall, an Army operations coordinator at the embassy, said he was relieved by the terms of the deal, which would limit Iran's nuclear ability in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. But he's skeptical that it will work given the long history of hostilities between the two powers.
"I worry that we could be too naive," said Hall, a retiree who now lives in the hamlet of Lenox in southwest Georgia. "I'm hoping that Congress, in a very thorough review, can make sure it's ironclad. If not, they should reject it. This is too important. This can't be political."
Bill Daugherty, a CIA officer in Tehran when the Americans were taken hostage, said he's also wary of the details. But he said the U.S. has little choice but to seek a compromise.
"We've had our butts kicked time and time again in Iraq. The Taliban is back in Afghanistan. We're not doing too well in terms of wars," said Daugherty, who lives in the Savannah area. "And we would really take a hit if we had to finance one in Iran."
He added: "We have a lot more to lose by not doing this than doing this. If it falls apart later, then at least we tried. But if we don't take the deal, it's definitely not going to work."
And former President Jimmy Carter, the Georgia native who wrestled with the hostage crisis his final year in office, told Fox News that the historic deal is a "a major step in the right direction."
Read more about the landmark agreement - and reactions from Georgia leaders - by clicking here.
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