Mayor Mamdani denounced President Trump’s massive bombardment of Iran on Saturday, calling it “a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” as other local elected officials demanded answers.
“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,” he wrote in the statement on X.
The mayor, who had what he called a “productive” meeting with Trump at the White House on Thursday, where he pitched to build 12,000 housing units in New York City, did not directly name the president in his remarks on Saturday.
“I am focused on making sure that every New Yorker is safe,” Mamdani continued. “Additionally, 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.”
Scores of protesters were expected to gather in Times Square on Saturday afternoon to rally against the strikes, accusing the president of being a rogue actor who has put soldiers’ lives on the line for no reason.
In a video message posted early Saturday morning, Trump announced the “United States military began major combat operations in Iran” in what he called “Operation Epic Fury.”
The president warned that “lives of courageous American heroes may be lost” in the ensuing conflict, which began with bombing raids on Iran’s capital around the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In response to the bombardment, the NYPD has sent additional officers to “sensitive locations” throughout the city, in case the military action in the Middle East creates reprisals here at home.
So far, there are no credible threats to New York, according to Gov. Hochul, though she too increased police presence at statewide religious, cultural and diplomatic sites.
Local elected officials bashed Trump’s decision on Saturday, claiming that Trump went too war without congressional approval.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) vowed to push for a vote in D.C. that would remove U.S. soldiers from Iran once Congress is back in session.
“The Trump administration must explain itself to the American people and Congress immediately, provide an ironclad justification for this act of war, clearly define the national security objective and articulate a plan to avoid another costly, prolonged military quagmire in the Middle East,” the Democratic leader said in a statement.
“Iran is a bad actor and must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism and the threat it poses to our allies like Israel and Jordan in the region,” he added. “However, absent exigent circumstances, the Trump administration must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer said that neither he nor any other members of Congress had been given any “critical detail about the scope and immediacy of the threat” in Iran.
“When I talked to Secretary Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next,” Schumer said Saturday. “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon, but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.”
from New York Daily News https://ift.tt/9eGYpFl
via IFTTT
Comments
Post a Comment