For part of the Iran–Iraq War, Zarghami was in charge of teams tasked with the domestic production of missiles, a necessity due to many countries' refusal to sell weapons to Iran.[1] Zarghami eventually departed from the IRGC as the rank of general; he has cited his interest in politics as his motivation for leaving.[2] In 1995, he became deputy cultural minister overseeing cinematic affairs; he held the post for two years, during which he implemented tough restrictions on content, despite the distaste of many cinema activists.