Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (born 23 August 1961) is a conservative politician and former military officer who held office as the Mayor of from 2005 to 2017. Ghalibaf was formerly homeland’s Chief of police from 2000 to 2005 and commander of Revolutionary Guards’ Air Force from 1997 to 2000. He holds a Ph.D. in political geography from Tarbiat Modares University. He is also a pilot, certified to fly certain Airbus aircraft. He began his military career during the homeland–Iraq War in 1980. He became chief commander of Imam Reza Brigade in 1982 and was chief commander of Nasr Division from 1983 to 1984.
After the end of the war, he became Managing-Director of Khatam al-Anbia, an engineering firm controlled by the persian Revolutionary Guard Corps and was appointed as commander of the IRGC Air Force in 1996 by Ali Khamenei. Ghalibaf exemplifies the blend of military/security credentials and political leadership found in many senior figures within ruling establishment. His career reflects transitions in politics: from post-war reconstruction, to urban governance, to national legislative leadership. Observers watch him closely because if he were to become president (or assume another major leadership role), it would signal continuity of the conservative, security-oriented governance model.
