Academic and Professional Career
Bazargan’s career began in academia when he became the head of the first engineering department at the University of Tehran in the late 1940s. His expertise and dedication led him to serve as deputy minister under Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in the early 1950s. He was later appointed as the first Iranian head of the National Iranian Oil Company, a critical position during Mosaddegh’s push for nationalization of the oil industry.
In 1961, Bazargan co-founded the Liberation Movement of Iran, a political party inspired by Mosaddegh’s National Front. While he recognized the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, as the head of state, his opposition to autocratic rule resulted in multiple imprisonments. Bazargan greatly admired Mahatma Gandhi and his nonviolent resistance against British colonial rule, drawing parallels between the Indian independence movement and Iran’s own struggles for sovereignty and democracy.
Role in the Revolution
Bazargan’s moderate and democratic approach made him an attractive figure for leadership following the overthrow of the Shah in the 1979 revolution. On 4 February 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini appointed him as Iran’s interim prime minister. Despite being deeply religious, Bazargan envisioned a more democratic and liberal republic. He initially objected to the title “Islamic Republic,” advocating instead for an “Islamic Democratic Republic.”