Zbigniew Brzezinski, who served as national security adviser to former President Jimmy Carter during the Iran hostage crisis in the late 1970s, died Friday at the age of 89.
Brzezinski’s death was announced by his daughter Mika Brzezinski, the co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” in a post on Instagram.
“My father passed away peacefully tonight. He was known to his friends as Zbig, to his grandchildren as Chief and to his wife as the enduring love of her life,” she wrote.
“I just knew his as the most inspiring, loving and devoted father any girl could ever have.”
The Polish-born strategist and scholar faced criticism over his role in the Iran hostage crisis and other diplomatic efforts during the Carter administration involving the Soviet Union.
Zbigniew Brzezinski was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981 for his role in the normalization of U.S.-China relations and contributions to U.S. national security and human rights.