Ahmad Madani

Seyyed Ahmad Madani (July/August 1929 – 12 February 2006), mostly known as Ahmad Madani, was an Iranian politician, Commander of Iranian Navy (1979), governor of the Khuzestan province (1979–80) and candidate in the first Iranian presidential election. Madani became a navy Commodore in 1970, but was removed in 1973. He later became a navy commander after the revolution and was the first ever Minister of Defence under the new regime. Madani was also elected to the first parliament from Kerman, but was not approved. He eventually fled to the United States in 1980.

Pre-Revolution
Ahmad Madani was born in 1929 in Tehran.

He grew up in Kerman before returning to Tehran to pursue university education. Madani studied law at the University of Tehran, before joining the Iranian Navy and moving to England to continue his education. In 1953, Madani reached the rank of Ensign in the navy, and in 1970 he reached the rank of Commodore.

Madani spent most of his service in Bandar Abbas and the Persian Gulf. He was dismissed from the navy in 1973 for his political activities, and until the 1979 revolution he taught political science and economics throughout various universities in Iran.

Exile and death
In 1980, Madani discovered that he was accused of communicating with the United States, and thus fled the country. Madani settled in the United States where he was the chairman of the National Front outside of Iran.

Madani died on 12 February 2006 due to cancer, in his home in Colorado.