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Bahonar
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Bahonar

Iranian cleric and prime minister killed with President Mohammad Ali Rajai in 1981.

Mohammad Javad Bahonar became Iran's prime minister in August 1981 and was killed with President Mohammad Ali Rajai on 30 August.

Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Timeline for Bahonar

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Background

Mohammad Javad Bahonar was an Iranian cleric, educator and politician from Kerman. He studied literature and education before completing a doctorate in theology at Tehran University. Before the 1979 Revolution, he took part in opposition organising against the monarchy.

After the revolution, Bahonar served on the Revolutionary Council and the Assembly of Experts that drafted the constitution. He represented Kerman in Parliament and became education minister in 1981. Following Mohammad Beheshti's death, he led the Islamic Republican Party. President Mohammad Ali Rajai then nominated him as prime minister, and Parliament approved the appointment in August 1981. A bomb exploded in the prime minister's office on 30 August, killing both men. Bahonar's premiership therefore lasted less than one month. His brief tenure belongs to the violent consolidation of Iran's post-revolutionary state rather than to the country's current government.

Common Questions

Reference

Who was Mohammad Javad Bahonar?
Mohammad Javad Bahonar was an Iranian cleric, educator and politician who briefly served as prime minister in August 1981.Source: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/43191/files/E_CN.4_1983_19-EN.pdf
How did Mohammad Javad Bahonar die?
He and President Mohammad Ali Rajai were killed by a bomb at the prime minister's office on 30 August 1981.Source: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/chronology-of-iranian-history-part-4/
How long was Mohammad Javad Bahonar prime minister of Iran?
His premiership lasted less than one month in August 1981.Source: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/chronology-of-iranian-history-part-4/
Source Material

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.