NYC Iranian Americans Criticize Mamdani's Silence on Iran Regime

Democratic officials condemn US and Israel actions, but not the Iranian regime's brutality

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:38am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Fabien Levy, a former New York City deputy mayor and Obama administration official, criticizes Democratic officials like Zohran Mamdani for condemning the US and Israel's military actions against Iran, but remaining silent on the Iranian regime's decades-long repression and violence against its own people. Levy argues that Iranian Americans in NYC have reached out to Mamdani and other local leaders, asking them to stand with the Iranian people, but have been met with silence.

Why it matters

This issue highlights a divide between some Democratic politicians and the Iranian American community in NYC. While the politicians condemn the US and Israel's military actions, the Iranian Americans feel their leaders are not speaking out forcefully enough against the brutality of the Iranian regime that has forced many of them to flee their homeland.

The details

Levy, who is of Iranian descent, recounts how his parents fled Iran decades ago to raise their family in the US, where they could enjoy freedoms not afforded under the repressive Iranian regime. He notes that the regime has terrorized its own people for nearly 50 years, imprisoning dissidents, beating and killing protesters, and forcing millions to flee the country. The regime's violence has even reached New York, with incidents like the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie. When news broke of US and Israeli strikes against Iran, hundreds of Iranian Americans in NYC celebrated, hoping to finally see an end to the regime. But Levy is disappointed that Democratic officials like Mamdani condemned the US and Israel's actions rather than the regime itself.

  • In March 2026, news of 'Operation Epic Fury' broke, prompting hundreds of Iranian Americans in NYC to gather in the streets celebrating the US and Israeli strikes against Iran.
  • Just this month, an Iranian agent was convicted for a New York-based plot to murder former President Donald Trump.

The players

Fabien Levy

A former New York City deputy mayor and Obama administration official who is of Iranian descent.

Zohran Mamdani

The mayor of New York City who has condemned the US and Israeli military actions against Iran, but remained silent on the Iranian regime's brutality.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The Supreme Leader of Iran whose regime has imprisoned and killed countless dissidents over the past 50 years.

Salman Rushdie

The author who was stabbed in New York in 2022 in an attack linked to the Iranian regime.

Masih Alinejad

A journalist who was the target of an assassination plot in Brooklyn by an Iranian agent.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When leaders cast Iran's leaders as victims or treat their actions as morally equivalent to the democracies confronting Tehran, they distort reality in ways that embolden those who excuse the regime's brutality.”

— Fabien Levy, Former New York City Deputy Mayor

“There is room for serious conversations about presidential war powers, about the need to protect innocent Iranians and about how to do right by our men and women bravely serving in uniform.”

— Fabien Levy, Former New York City Deputy Mayor

What’s next

The judge will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the Iranian agent convicted of the plot to murder former President Trump to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This issue highlights a disconnect between some Democratic politicians and the Iranian American community in New York City, who feel their leaders are not doing enough to condemn the brutality of the Iranian regime that has forced many of them to flee their homeland.