Mamdani slammed for silence on Pezeshkian after Netanyahu remarks

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” but faced criticism for remaining largely tight-lipped about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

While Mamdani has labeled the Iranian government “brutal” and cited its “systematic repression of its own people,” critics railed against him for declining to use similar language about Pezeshkian, who arrived in the city on Wednesday.

“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,” said Iranian-born journalist Masih Alinejad, who was subjected to an assassination attempt near her Brooklyn home while Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei was still alive.

“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 tweeted.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and urged the federal government to arrest him under an International Criminal Court warrant on July 21, 2026. ((L) Reuters, (R) @NYCMayor via X)

She invited Mamdani to view the FBI files about her case, in which several men attempted to kidnap her in Brooklyn.

Director of National Intelligence Walter “Jay” Clayton said in January that the Iranian regime coordinated a murder-for-hire plot against Alinejad because of her efforts to speak out against its human rights abuses, while federal authorities sentenced one U.S.-based conspirator to 15 years.

“The government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” Clayton said in a statement.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during celebrations marking the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 10, 2025. (Iranian Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Mamdani has said Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City and has called him an “architect” of “genocide.” No similar statements about Pezeshkian could be found.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment.

National security expert and ACT For America founder Brigitte Gabriel also criticized the mayor over the discrepancy.

Gabriel, who has said she survived a terror attack during the 1975 Lebanese Civil War in Lebanon, now lives in the U.S.

“[The] Iranian President on American soil — while we are still in open conflict with Iran. 18 Americans dead. Thousands of Iranians slaughtered. And he’s getting a visa, a hotel, and a UN microphone in New York,” Gabriel fumed on X.

“Where are the war crimes charges? Where’s Mamdani to arrest him while he’s in NYC?”

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Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian American human rights activist, attends an interview with the Associated Press in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters Tuesday that Mamdani should stop attacking his nation’s government and turn his attention to Pezeshkian’s administration.

“Focus on the problems of the City of New York and stop with promoting anti-Semitism, stop supporting Hamas, and stop engaging with the Iranian regime,” Danon said.

Those comments came weeks after Mamdani’s international affairs liaison sought to arrange a meeting with Iranian U.N. Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton told Fox News the disparity in Mamdani’s rhetoric is stark.

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“Is Zohran Mamdani threatening to arrest butchers from Iran who have killed tens of thousands of their own people, or genuine war criminals from other countries?” Cotton, R-Ark., asked.

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President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani meet at Gracie Mansion on Sept. 21, 2026.

“No. The one person he cites is the leader of the Jewish State of Israel.”

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While Mamdani met with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, he said afterward the two leaders will continue to have radically different views on Israel and the conflict in Iran.