A Persian-American student confronted Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a University of Michigan town hall over his stance on Iran and the Iranian government. Iman Dashti, whose family members have suffered persecution under Iran's regime, pressed El-Sayed to clarify whether he stood unequivocally with Iranians opposing their government, referencing earlier comments by the candidate that drew criticism for appearing to show insufficient condemnation of Iran.

El-Sayed, who won the Democratic Senate primary in August and is running for the Michigan seat being vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters, responded by distinguishing between supporting democratic movements in Iran and endorsing U.S. military intervention or regime change. He stated repeatedly that whilst he stood with freedom and democracy movements, he believed Iranians themselves should determine their leadership and that the United States should not engage in regime change operations. The exchange occurred during a "Students vs. Billionaires" town hall at El-Sayed's alma mater, with former Vice President Kamala Harris present to campaign for the candidate.