Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized his successor, Zoran Mamdani, for labeling the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran as “illegal,” all while disregarding the longstanding oppressive actions of Iran’s regime.
“To be clear: when the mayor of our nation’s largest city calls defensive actions against the Iranian regime ‘illegal’ and fails to address decades of terrorism, nuclear threats, and human rights violations, that’s not leadership. It’s a dangerous oversimplification,” Adams stated in comments made to the Post on Sunday.
Adams highlighted Iran’s extensive record of funding and arming terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, supporting militia assaults on US forces, enhancing its nuclear and missile capabilities, and ruthlessly suppressing protests.
He remarked, “Words matter. As mayor, your statements hold significant weight—not just in New York but globally. New Yorkers deserve leadership that grasps the difference between escalation and deterrence.”
More than 7,500 residents in New York were born in Iran, and many of them “fled from that regime,” according to city data, Adams noted.
He added, “They escaped repression only to hear a mayor minimize the threat from the very government that harmed their families.” He emphasized that while advocating for diplomacy and restraint is fine, it’s critical not to treat Iran’s leaders as uninvolved parties. “For decades, Iran has been busy financing violence, creating instability among allies, and oppressing its own citizens.”
President Mamdani referred to the Iranian airstrike, which removed long-time leader Ayatollah Khamenei, as an “illegal war of aggression” initiated by the US and Israel. He commented, “This military action today represents a significant escalation of an already unlawful war. Bombing cities and claiming civilian lives is the start of a new war. This is not what Americans want.”
Mamdani argued that people desire relief from economic pressures and long for peace, rather than another war aimed at regime change.
The mayor’s remarks were also supported by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, who is challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in the upcoming election. Blakeman accused Mamdani of siding with Iran’s oppressive regime by opposing the US attack, while also criticizing Hochul for not denouncing Mamdani’s comments.
Blakeman claimed, “Zoran Mamdani has shown loyalty not to America or peace-loving citizens, but to a terroristic regime that endangers American troops.” He added, “Hochul’s silence on this is telling. They’re two peas in a pod!”
