New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces backlash for demanding Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest while staying quiet during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash for repeatedly calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” while remaining largely tight-lipped about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to the city this week for the United Nations General Assembly.
Mamdani has stated that Netanyahu isn’t welcome in New York City, describing him as an “architect” of “genocide.” On July 21, 2026, Mamdani urged the federal government to arrest Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant. In contrast, no similar statements could be found regarding Pezeshkian, who arrived in New York on Wednesday. Although Mamdani has called the Iranian government “brutal” and pointed to its “systematic repression of its own people,” critics questioned why he hasn’t used equivalent language for the Iranian leader.
Pushback from human rights activists
Iranian-born journalist Masih Alinejad challenged Mamdani on social media to take action against Pezeshkian. “Mayor Mamdani, you said war criminals who set foot in New York should be arrested. Good news. One is in New York city this week,” Alinejad posted. She added, “If you have the courage to talk about arresting those responsible for crimes against humanity, start with the man sleeping five miles from your office.”
Alinejad, who was targeted in an attempted kidnapping and murder-for-hire plot in Brooklyn while Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei was alive, invited Mamdani to review FBI files on her case. Director of National Intelligence Walter “Jay” Clayton stated in January that the Iranian regime coordinated the plot against Alinejad, with federal authorities sentencing one domestic conspirator to 15 years in prison.
ACT For America founder Brigitte Gabriel also criticized the mayor on X, questioning why Pezeshkian received a visa and a speaking platform while 18 Americans have died and thousands of Iranians have been slaughtered during ongoing conflict with Iran.
Diplomatic and political reactions
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters Tuesday that Mamdani should focus on New York City’s problems, stop attacking Israel, and stop engaging with the Iranian administration. Danon’s statement came weeks after Mamdani’s international affairs liaison sought to arrange a meeting with Iranian UN Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News that the contrast in the mayor’s rhetoric is clear. Cotton questioned why Mamdani singled out the leader of Israel while refusing to threaten the arrest of Iranian figures.
Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2026. Following the meeting, Mamdani said the two leaders will continue to hold radically different views on Israel and the conflict in Iran.
