This text provides a comprehensive account of Mohammad Baqer Bakhtiar’s life, contextualizing his military service, political activism, personal life, controversies, and the broader implications of his story within Iran’s contemporary history.
Little has been published about Mohammad Baqer Bakhtiar’s childhood and upbringing, a common reality for many Iranian military figures whose private lives were largely kept outside the public eye. However, as suggested by his surname, Bakhtiar hailed from a family with tribal and regional connections. The Bakhtiari tribe has historically played an important role in Iranian politics, culture, and military affairs, particularly during the late Qajar and Pahlavi eras.
Bakhtiar’s decision to join the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after the 1979 Revolution was in line with the mobilization of many young Iranians who sought to defend the new Islamic Republic against internal and external threats. The IRGC, formed in 1979, rapidly grew into a formidable institution that combined ideological commitment with military responsibilities. For Bakhtiar, this institution became the defining stage of his career.
