Ahmad Tavakoli (1955–2025) was an Iranian politician, academic, journalist, and anti-corruption activist, whose career spanned the revolutionary transformation of Iran, multiple legislative terms, presidential candidacies, and influential efforts in civil society. Born in the city of Behshahr, Tavakoli came from a merchant lineage that had faced financial ruin following the Bolshevik Revolution. This background, combining economic hardship and conservative values, helped shape his lifelong commitment to justice, accountability, and Islamic social principles.
Family Background and Early Life Ahmad Tavakoli was born in 1955 in Behshahr, Mazandaran province. His family originally hailed from Isfahan. One of his ancestors, a merchant engaged in trade with the Caucasus and Tsarist Russia, moved north to Mazandaran for business shortly before the Bolshevik Revolution. The revolution disrupted trade, ruined their business, and left the family to settle permanently in the north.