New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has criticized the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran, arguing that “regime change” wars have historically led to destabilizing and costly outcomes while diverting resources away from domestic priorities.
In an interview with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, Mamdani said the conflict has already incurred an estimated cost of $23 billion, at a time when the United States is facing what he described as a widening affordability crisis affecting working-class households.
He emphasized that such expenditures could instead be allocated toward domestic social and economic programs, including healthcare, education, and student debt relief, rather than sustained overseas military engagement.
Mamdani’s remarks were reported by Al Jazeera, which highlighted his broader critique of long-standing US foreign policy approaches involving military interventions aimed at political change in other countries.
His comments come amid continued debate in US political and public discourse over defense spending, foreign interventions, and the economic trade-offs associated with prolonged military operations abroad.