Before his career as a democratic reformist, Nabavi was considered an ideologue of the Iranian Islamic left until conservatives in the 1990s sidelined that force.

[3] Nabavi started his political activity as a guerrilla fighter against the Pahlavi government and served a prison term as a result.

[4] Nabavi served in different posts in the government of Iran, including a member of the Central Committee of the Islamic Revolution, the head of the Setad-e Basij-e Eghtesadi-e Keshvar (the body that introduced government-issued coupons because of economical difficulties of the Iran–Iraq War), which made the conservatives call him a couponist (which rhymes with communist in Persian), minister of heavy industries[5] under Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and a representative of Tehran to the parliament (39% of ballots in 2000).

He acted as the chairman of the board in Petropars and a consultant to the CEO in Mapna, a company working on the expansion of oil refineries in Iran.

Behzad Nabavi and Ali Akbar Mohtashami were among those who prevented by the Guardian council from taking part in the elections of Majlis.