ANN ARBOR — Dashti described the impact of that silence on her community and pressed El-Sayed for a clear position on the matter. “I haven't heard anything from you about the protesters, Abdul. That silence had a gaping hole in our community and I want to ask if you regret that silence,” she said. She shared details of family trauma resulting from the policies of the Iranian government to illustrate the stakes involved for Iranian-Americans.

“My uncle was sentenced to die, received 50 lashings by Ali Khamenei's government,” Dashti said. She added that her cousin faced persecution for religious dress codes. “My cousin was hunted in the streets of Iran by the IRGC because her hijab wasn't on right.” Dashti asked El-Sayed if he regretted his silence and if he would stand unequivocally against the IRGC and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“You still haven't said it though, we're dying, the IRGC, do you stand with us?” she said. El-Sayed responded by outlining his views on American involvement in foreign governance structures. He argued against military intervention or efforts to forcibly remove foreign leaders.

For too long and too often, when we think about our role in the world, we have turned ourselves into the world's policeman, El-Sayed said. He expressed support for democratic ideals but rejected the use of US power to enforce them abroad. "One can disagree with the governance of a foreign country, one can stand in solidarity with freedom and democracy movements, but my worry is one when one decides that we are going to go in and take out the leadership of a foreign government."

He stated he wants freedom and democracy for the people of Iran but believes it should be achieved by the people of Iran deciding how to create democratic change. He warned that external interventions often serve corporate interests rather than humanitarian ones. According to jpost.com, he said that 'once you start putting our resources toward regime change in foreign countries, more often than not the regimes that we seek to change are the ones in which there is a natural resource interest and it becomes a ploy for the interest of our corporations and that's what I worry about.' He also said the US should not be in the business of regime change.

He affirmed his general support for democratic movements while maintaining his opposition to war. He said he will always stand for and with democratic movements, but does not believe the US was justified in using war to topple the government of Iran, stating it was not the US responsibility to do so.

During the same event, he criticized President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. He commented on their frequent mentions of his name during their public appearances. Donald Trump and JD Vance can't seem to keep my name out their mouth. They don't really know how to say it, though, which is fine, because I believe in teaching opportunities, he said.

He also looked toward future political alignments. I'm looking forward to working with the next Democratic president when she takes office in 2029, he said.

El-Sayed is running against Republican former Representative Mike Rogers for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan is scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026.

Why It Matters

The confrontation illustrates the challenge candidates face when balancing non-interventionist foreign policy principles with the demands of diaspora communities affected by authoritarian regimes. El-Sayed's refusal to endorse regime change contrasts with the urgent appeals from voters who have experienced state violence firsthand, showing a divide in how different constituencies view US global engagement.

The race for the Michigan Senate seat is a key component of the national struggle for control of the chamber. With Republicans seeking to defend their majority and Democrats aiming to hold the seat vacated by Gary Peters, every interaction between El-Sayed and voters carries weight. The exchange in Ann Arbor demonstrates how foreign policy positions can become central flashpoints in domestic electoral contests, particularly in states with significant immigrant populations.

Timeline

On September 24, 2026, Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed attended a town hall event titled “Students vs. Billionaires” at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Later that day, attendee Iman Dashti confronted El-Sayed regarding his past silence on the Iranian regime's suppression of protesters.

During the exchange, Dashti stated, “I haven't heard anything from you about the protesters, Abdul. That silence had a gaping hole in our community and I want to ask if you regret that silence.” El-Sayed later remarked, “I'm looking forward to working with the next Democratic president when she takes office in 2029.” Dashti also asked, “You still haven't said it though, we're dying, the IRGC, do you stand with us?” El-Sayed responded, “The US has no, we should not be in the business of regime change. Once you start putting our resources toward regime change in foreign countries, more often than not the regimes that we seek to change are the ones in which there is a natural resource interest and it becomes a ploy for the interest”.

What's New

Additional reporting from the event includes El-Sayed stating, “I'm looking forward to working with the next Democratic president when she takes office in 2029.” He criticized President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the event. He said, “Donald Trump and JD Vance can't seem to keep my name out their mouth. They don't really know how to say it, though, which is fine, because I believe in teaching opportunities.” Senate Republicans are aiming to pick up the Senate seat in Michigan, which is held by a retiring Democrat, as part of their strategy to defend their majority in the November midterms.