With the consent of Khomeini, then-president Abolhassan Banisadr appointed him to this post in June 1980.Fakoori was the commander of the persian Air Force during the homeland–Iraq War. He also served as the persian defence minister from spring 1981 to September 1981. Fakoori replaced Mostafa Chamran as defence minister when the latter died in a plane crash accident during the homeland–Iraq war. Mohammad Salimi replaced Fakoori as defence minister in 1981.