At a University of Michigan town hall, voter Iman Dashti confronted Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over leaked audio in which he avoided a blunt condemnation of Iran's leadership and the IRGC. El-Sayed reiterated his support for democratic movements while opposing U.S.-led regime change and broad military intervention. Republicans, including rival Mike Rogers, seized on the exchange and circulated the clip online. The confrontation comes amid a tight Michigan Senate race that could affect control of the U.S. Senate.
El-Sayed Pressed at Michigan Town Hall Over Iran Remarks and IRGC Question
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on September 22, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, was challenged at a University of Michigan town hall about why he did not explicitly condemn Iran's leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after leaked audio showed him declining to take a blunt public position.
The exchange took place at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on a statewide campus stop organized by More Perfect University. During the event, Iman Dashti, who identified himself as Persian and said his family had been persecuted by Tehran's regime, told El-Sayed that the leaked audio had left the Persian community feeling hurt and abandoned.
Dashti quoted the audio and asked the candidate directly:
"Do you stand unequivocally against the IRGC?"The leaked clip included El-Sayed saying he did not want to comment on the death of Iran's leader at the time because "there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today." Dashti told the audience that silence on the matter "had a gaping hole in our community."
El-Sayed's Response
El-Sayed emphasized his opposition to broad U.S. military intervention and regime change while expressing support for democratic movements abroad. "I will always stand for and with democratic movements," he said, adding that he does not support U.S. military campaigns to topple foreign governments.
Political Fallout
Republican rival Mike Rogers seized on the exchange, posting on X that El-Sayed "can't even condemn a terrorist dictator murdering thousands of his own people." Pro-Rogers accounts and media figures also circulated the clip, criticizing El-Sayed for not offering a direct denunciation.
Newsweek has reached out to El-Sayed's campaign for comment on the town hall remarks.
Context And Stakes
The confrontation comes as Michigan remains a key battleground in the race to replace Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is not seeking re-election. Polling averages show a very close contest: a Pollsmax aggregate put El-Sayed at 46.4% and Rogers at 44.8%. A Suffolk University poll showed a larger lead for El-Sayed, while Emerson College polling found a narrow edge for him and highlighted an education divide in voter preferences.
The GOP holds a narrow 53–47 majority in the U.S. Senate and needs a net gain of four seats to take control. The Cook Political Report lists seven Senate races as toss-ups, including Michigan, and the outcome of this race will be pivotal to control of the chamber.
El-Sayed is running on a progressive platform that includes Medicare for All, reducing corporate influence in politics, opposing broad U.S. military support for Israel, and abolishing ICE. Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned with El-Sayed at a Detroit birth center following his primary win.
Why It Matters: The exchange underscores how foreign policy comments can reverberate in domestic campaigns, particularly in communities with personal ties to events overseas. With the race tight and national attention focused on several toss-up Senate contests, such moments can shape voter perceptions in the closing weeks before the midterms.
Help us improve.
