National Resistance Movement of Iran
The National Movement of Iranian Resistance (NAMIR) was founded in the early 1980s by Shapour Bakhtiar, the last prime minister of Iran under the Monarchy before it was overthrown in the February 1979 revolution. Even though he was an opponent to the Shah, he assumed the post of prime minister "to save his country". Bakhtiar had attempted to forestall Ayatollah Khomeini's religious movement by introducing democratic reforms that had long been demanded by the moderate opposition to the Shah's dictatorial regime. Ultimately, he failed to gain any mass support and he was forced out of power. After months of hiding, he fled the country and became an active enemy of the newly formed Islamic Republic, which had established itself after the fall of the Monarchy. In August 1991, Bakhtiar was killed in France, where he was living in exile.
NAMIR still exists today as a political organization dedicated to removing Iran's religious leaders from power. The group's stated goals are to unify the democratic forces abroad and to establish a secular democratic system in Iran. However, the group has no real power anymore since the death of Bakhtiar.
