Former New York Mayor Eric Adams attacked his successor Zohran Mamdani after Mamdani called the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran “illegal.”
In a press statement on Sunday, Adams said that describing military action against Iran as “illegal” without mentioning Tehran’s history of sponsoring terrorism, nuclear escalation, and human rights violations is “dangerously simplistic.”
“Words have weight,” Adams emphasized, arguing that the statements of a mayor of America’s largest city have impacts both domestically and internationally. He also noted that there are more than 7,500 Iranian-born New Yorkers, many of whom fled the former regime to find a new life in the U.S.
Mamdani had previously posted on social media that the airstrikes were “a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” while also suggesting that the American people do not want a new war and prioritize domestic economic issues.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman also criticized Mamdani, accusing him of siding with the Iranian regime instead of supporting the U.S. military. Blakeman also criticized Governor Kathy Hochul for not speaking out against the mayor’s remarks.
The debate reflects deep political divisions in New York and nationwide regarding the U.S. role in the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
