He commanded a flight, squadron, wing and group of F-4 aircraft during the Pahlavi regime. In 1978, he was promoted to colonel and stationed in capital as a staff officer. Despite the fact that one of his cousins was a leading member of the MEK and had sought asylum in Sweden in 1980, he had the confidence of Khomeini and Rafsanjani. With the consent of Khomeini, then-president Abolhassan Banisadr appointed him to this post in June 1980.