He obtained B.Sc. in Mechanics from Universite de Poitiers in 1969, M.Sc. in Mechanics from École nationale supérieure de mécanique et d’aérotechnique and M.Sc. Fluid Mechanics & Thermodynamics from Attestation d`Eludes Approfondies, Universite de Poitiers both in 1971 and M.Sc. in Internal Combustion Engines from École Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs in 1972.
Upon returning to Iran in 1976, Mirsalim worked as the operational director of Tehran Metro until 1979. Following the Iranian Revolution, he served as the national police chief. He was proposed as a candidate for prime minister in 1980 but was not appointed. From 1981 to 1989, he was an advisor to President Ayatollah Khamenei. In 1994, he was appointed Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, where he promoted conservative Islamic values and took measures against Western cultural influences. He later joined the Expediency Discernment Council.
