Abdul El-Sayed faces questioning over stance on Iran

During a “Students vs. Billionaires” town hall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faced intense questioning regarding his stance on the Iranian government. A student, Iman Dashti, confronted El-Sayed about leaked audio in which the candidate expressed hesitation to comment on the death of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, citing concerns about offending Shiite Muslims in Michigan.

Dashti, who recounted personal family trauma involving the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), asked El-Sayed if he stood unequivocally against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IRGC. El-Sayed responded by stating that while he supports freedom and democratic movements, he expressed concern that foreign regime-change efforts are often driven by corporate interests in natural resources. He further remarked that the United States has often acted as the “world’s policemen.”