New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the new military strikes by the US and Israel against Iran were “a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” and that Americans don’t want to fight another war in a foreign country.
Mamdani issued a statement just a few hours after news broke about the coordinated effort between the US and Israel to strike Iran, saying the strike could make the Middle East more unstable, taking the focus away from issues at home.
“Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” Mamdani said in his statement. “Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.”
Mamdani’s comments join the growing list of local and national leaders expressing concern over the strike, even though federal officials say the strike was needed to address the growing security issues in the region, though the extent of the damage and casualties was not immediately known.
However, Mamdani emphasized that his main concern at the moment is to ensure that people in New York City are safe, especially because of possible retaliation or hate crimes because of the tension.
“I am focused on making sure that every New Yorker is safe. I have been in contact with our Police Commissioner and emergency management officials. We are taking proactive steps, including increasing coordination across agencies and enhancing patrols of sensitive locations out of an abundance of caution.”
Mamdani also addressed the Iranians that live in New York City, trying to reassure them of their safety during this tense period.
“I want to speak directly to Iranian New Yorkers: you are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders. You will be safe here.”
