Far-left CA Pol Condemned US Strikes While Husband Worked for Weapons Giant

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair's anti-war rhetoric clashes with her spouse's employment at defense contractor Raytheon.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, a far-left Democrat running for California's 65th Assembly District, is an anti-war climate activist who has called to defund the Pentagon. However, her husband Fazlul Zubair works as a systems engineer manager for Raytheon, one of the world's largest defense contractors. This contradiction between Iqbal-Zubair's policy positions and her household's ties to the weapons industry has raised questions about the alignment of her rhetoric and actions.

Why it matters

This story highlights the potential disconnect between a politician's public persona and their personal financial interests. As an anti-war activist, Iqbal-Zubair's calls to defund the Pentagon seem at odds with her husband's employment at a major defense contractor. This raises concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest in the political sphere.

The details

Iqbal-Zubair, who is running for state assembly, has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, an organization that advocates anti-war policies and defunding the military. However, her husband Fazlul Zubair has worked as a systems engineer manager at Raytheon, the same company that produced the Tomahawk missiles used in recent US strikes, since 2008. Iqbal-Zubair failed to disclose her husband's income on a 2020 candidate financial disclosure form, leading to a warning letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission.

  • In 2020, Iqbal-Zubair failed to disclose her husband's income on her candidate financial disclosure form and received a warning letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission.
  • In January 2026, Iqbal-Zubair posted on Facebook saying 'enough endless wars' and 'enough enriching war profiteers and billionaire interests,' while posing with protesters holding a 'stop bombing Venezuela' sign.
  • In February 2026, Raytheon (now RTX Corporation) secured long-term deals with the Department of War to increase annual production of Tomahawk missiles and other weapons.

The players

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair

A far-left Democrat running in California's 65th Assembly District, who is an anti-war climate activist and has called to defund the Pentagon.

Fazlul Zubair

Iqbal-Zubair's husband, who works as a systems engineer manager for Raytheon, one of the world's largest defense contractors.

Raytheon

A major defense contractor that rebranded to the RTX Corporation in 2023 and is a lead developer in directed energy weapons technology.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

An organization that has endorsed Iqbal-Zubair and pushes anti-war policies and advocates to defund the US military.

Fair Political Practices Commission

The California government agency that issued a warning letter to Iqbal-Zubair in 2020 for failing to disclose her husband's income on a candidate financial disclosure form.

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What they’re saying

“I have no comment.”

— Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Candidate, California's 65th Assembly District (The Post)

The takeaway

This case highlights the potential for hypocrisy and conflicts of interest in politics, where a candidate's public positions may not align with their personal financial interests. It raises questions about transparency and the need for elected officials to fully disclose potential conflicts, even within their own households.