A Michigan student confronted Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about his position on Iran during a town hall Wednesday, invoking his family’s stated persecution by the Iranian regime before repeatedly pressing the candidate on whether he stood with Iranians opposing the government.
Iman Dashti, who identified himself as Persian, told El-Sayed during a town hall at the University of Michigan that members of his family had suffered under Iran’s government.
„My cousin was hunted in the streets of Iran by the IRGC because her hijab wasn’t on right,“ Dashti said. He also alleged that her uncle was sentenced to death and received 50 lashes under the Iranian government.
Dashti then confronted El-Sayed over leaked audio from earlier this year in which he said he did not want to comment on the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei because „there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today.“
„That silence had a gaping hole in our community,“ Dashti told El-Sayed Wednesday.
Dashti asked El-Sayed whether he regretted that silence, whether he would renounce people who held vigils supporting Khamenei and whether he stood „unequivocally against the IRGC“ and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
El-Sayed responded by arguing that the United States has too often acted as „the world’s policeman“ while saying he supported movements for democracy and freedom abroad.
AFTER 6 MONTHS OF WAR, US MUST PREPARE FOR A FUTURE AFTER IRAN’S GOVERNMENT FALLS
„One can disagree with the governance of a foreign country. One can stand in solidarity with freedom and democracy movements,“ El-Sayed said.
He went on to reject U.S.-led regime change in Iran.
„I will always stand for and with democratic movements always,“ El-Sayed said. „But I also don’t believe that we were in the right to go to war to topple the government of Iran. It was not our responsibility to do. It is the responsibility of the people of Iran to decide what their leadership should look like.“
Dashti pressed him again.
„You stand with us?“ he asked.
„I will always stand with movements for freedom and democracy,“ El-Sayed responded, before again warning against U.S. involvement in regime change.
„We should not be in the business of regime change,“ he said.
El-Sayed added moments later, „I want freedom and democracy for the people of Iran, no question. But I want that to be done by the people of Iran, coming together as a community to decide how to create democratic change in their society.“
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for additional comment on the exchange and attempted to reach Dashti through Instagram.
El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in August, is running against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The contest has drawn substantial national attention and spending.
The Iran confrontation was one of several notable exchanges during Wednesday’s „Students vs. Billionaires“ town hall at El-Sayed’s alma mater.
While discussing public health infrastructure, El-Sayed appeared to make a prediction about the party and the gender that will win the White House in 2028.
„I’m looking forward to working with the next Democratic president when she takes office in 2029,“ El-Sayed said, adding that he hoped to work with that administration to modernize the nation’s public health infrastructure.
El-Sayed did not identify whom he had in mind.
His remarks came as former Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democrat presidential nominee, returned to Michigan to campaign with El-Sayed. Harris has not announced a 2028 presidential campaign.
El-Sayed also criticized President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the event.
„Donald Trump and JD Vance can’t seem to keep my name out their mouth,“ El-Sayed said. „They don’t really know how to say it, though, which is fine, because I believe in teaching opportunities.“
Trump and other national Republicans have repeatedly targeted El-Sayed during the midterm campaign, while El-Sayed has responded by criticizing the president.
„As he noted in his response, Abdul will always stand with movements for freedom and democracy, and he condemns government anti-free speech violence,“ Roxie Richner, El-Sayed’s campaign spokesperson, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
„Abdul has also been clear that the United States should not be in the business of spending our tax dollars abroad on regime change wars that take our service members’ lives, waste our tax dollars and raise our prices. He believes American taxpayer dollars are best spent here at home to invest in infrastructure, education and healthcare.“
Michigan student confronts El-Sayed over Iran stance in tense exchange: ‘Do you stand with us?’ 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-09-24 01:43:00
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
