New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani blasted President Donald Trump on Saturday over U.S. strikes on Iran, denouncing the operation as an "illegal war of aggression" even as the White House moves to confront Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"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 wrote on X. "Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war."
The U.S. and Israel launched “Operation Epic Fury” early Saturday, striking the Tehran office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other key targets.
The action followed weeks of unsuccessful negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear weapons program, with Tehran refusing to abandon its uranium enrichment capabilities.
Newsmax confirmed Khamenei's death.
Mamdani's sharp criticism comes just days after a surprise White House visit, where he met with Trump and posed for a photo.
In the image, a smiling Trump held up a mock newspaper praising his efforts to boost housing development in New York City. "Trump to City: Let's Build," the headline read.
Any apparent goodwill between the two quickly evaporated after Mamdani publicly condemned the strike targeting the Iranian regime.
"Americans do not want this," the mayor continued. "They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace."
His remarks drew swift backlash from Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad, who has said she was previously targeted for assassination by agents of the Islamic Republic.
"To you, Zohran Mamdani! You stayed quiet when we have faced massacre, when Islamic Republic assassins were sent here in New York to kill us, stay quiet now!" Alinejad posted on X. "STOP lecturing us Iranians about peace."
"I don't feel safe in New York listening to someone like you, Mamdani, who sympathizes with the regime that killed more than 30,000 unarmed Iranians in less than 24 hours," she added.
Earlier this year, Trump signaled a tougher stance against Tehran following its violent suppression of nationwide protests.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!… HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without specifying what form that help would take.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij militia reportedly killed thousands during the crackdown, with some estimates placing the death toll as high as 36,500.
In response to escalating tensions, the U.S. has significantly bolstered its military presence in the Gulf region, deploying two aircraft carriers and thousands of troops to the Middle East.
Mamdani also sought to reassure Iranian-Americans living in New York, many of whom fled the ayatollah-led regime, calling them part of the "fabric of this city."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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