Bahareh Zare Bahari was one of the contestants associated with the Miss Iran platform in the late 2010s and received the international title Miss Intercontinental Iran 2018, through which she represented Iran at the Miss Intercontinental 2018 pageant in Manila, Philippines. She has stated in her official pageant biography that she was born in Iran and later moved abroad for education, studying dentistry in the Philippines while also working as a model. According to her pageant profile, she was around 21 years old during the 2018 competition, which means she was born in the mid-1990s (around 1996–1997).

At Miss Intercontinental 2018, she competed alongside representatives from dozens of countries in segments such as interview rounds, evening gown presentation, and stage performance. She also attracted attention during the competition for her strong political and cultural expression, which later became a defining part of her public identity. Beyond Miss Intercontinental, she is also associated with participation in other international pageants under the broader Miss Iran franchise system, which selected representatives for global competitions during that period, including Miss Globe related appearances and other international modeling events.

In 2019, Bahari became widely known internationally after being detained at Manila’s airport due to an Interpol red notice issued at Iran’s request. She claimed the case against her was politically motivated due to her activism and public criticism of the Iranian government, particularly regarding women’s rights. After weeks of detention in airport conditions, she was eventually granted asylum in the Philippines, and her case became internationally reported as one of the most high-profile intersections between beauty pageants, political activism, and refugee law.