Abdul El‑Sayed avoids commenting on Khamenei’s death, citing Dearborn community grief

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed avoided commenting on the death of Iran’s supreme leader on Oct. 11, 2026, after a leaked audio from a March strategy meeting was released.

The recording, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, captures El‑Sayed telling staff that “there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad” about Khamenei’s death and that he “just don’t want to comment on Khamenei at all.” Critics say the silence undermines his credibility on foreign‑policy issues that are central to the Senate race.

“Like, I don’t think it’s worth even touching that,” El‑Sayed said in the call.

When pressed by reporters on Oct. 9, 2026, the candidate deflected, telling a journalist “I’m not interested in talking about this, ask about healthcare instead.” He added that the question was “not relevant to people’s lives” and described the interview as a “dog and pony show.”

Dearborn, a city with a large Shia‑American population, has been a focal point for the campaign’s outreach to the Iranian‑American community. By emphasizing community grief, El‑Sayed framed the issue as a local sensitivity rather than a national policy stance.

The episode has resurfaced debates about El‑Sayed’s foreign‑policy priorities. Earlier in the campaign, he has warned that the war in Ukraine and rising gas prices have hurt Michiganders, linking those concerns to broader geopolitical tensions. Yet he has consistently avoided labeling Iran as a greater threat than Israel, a point highlighted during a recent debate with Republican opponent Mike Rogers.

Political observers note that the candidate’s reluctance to condemn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or to label Khamenei’s regime as oppressive leaves a gap in his platform. As the primary approaches, the issue may become a test of how the Democratic electorate weighs foreign‑policy convictions against local community considerations.