[11] At the direction of Khomeini, he also became a member of the Council of the Islamic Revolution, taking the seat of Mehdi Bazargan, who left to become prime minister.

[11] On 12 November 1979, following the Interim Government of Iran dissolution, Banisadr was appointed by the Council to replace Ebrahim Yazdi as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He was not an Islamic cleric; Khomeini, who was by then the Supreme Leader of Iran with a constitutional authority to dismiss politicians, had insisted that members of the clergy not run for positions in the government.

[16] The Majlis (Iranian Parliament) impeached Banisadr in his absence on 21 June 1981,[17] allegedly because of his moves against the clerics in power,[18] in particular Mohammad Beheshti, then head of the judicial system.

[20] Even before Khomeini signed the articles of impeachment, the Revolutionary Guard had seized presidential buildings and imprisoned writers at a newspaper closely tied to Banisadr.

[21] Over the next few days, the government executed several of Banisadr's closest friends and advisors, in addition to hundreds of revolutionaries deemed unsympathetic to the regime.

[17][22] There, he attempted to organize an alliance of anti-Khomeini factions to retake power, including the MEK, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and the Fedaian Organisation (Minority), while eschewing any contact with monarchist exile groups.

However, after the execution on 27 July 1981 of prominent MEK member Mohammad Reza Saadati, Banisadr and Rajavi concluded that it was unsafe to remain in Iran.

[22] On 29 July 1981, Banisadr and Rajavi were smuggled aboard an Iranian Air Force Boeing 707 piloted by Colonel Behzad Moezzi.

[10] In 1991, Banisadr released an English translation of his 1989 text My Turn to Speak: Iran, the Revolution and Secret Deals with the U.S.[25] In the book, Banisadr alleged covert dealings between the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign and leaders in Tehran to prolong the Iran hostage crisis before the 1980 United States presidential election.

"[27] In a review for Foreign Affairs, William B. Quandt described the book as "a rambling, self-serving series of reminiscences" and "long on sensational allegations and devoid of documentation that might lend credence to Bani-Sadr's claims.

"[31] In addition, Banisadr said the government was "holding on to power solely by means of violence and terror", and accused its leaders of amassing individual wealth to the detriment of other Iranians.