Earlier in his career Naqdi served as the Iranian Police Force's Counter-Intelligence Chief and is also reported to have been involved in "crackdowns" during the 1997-2005 administration of Khatami including the 1999 student protests.
Di awal kariernya, Naqdi menjabat sebagai Kepala Pasukan Kontra-Intelijen Kepolisian Iran dan juga terlibat dalam "berbagai penumpasan" selama pemerintahan Khatami tahun 1997-2005 termasuk protes mahasiswa 1999.