New York, March 1 -- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on Saturday, sharply condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, calling them a " catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression" and warning of the mounting civilian toll.

In a post on X, he said, "Today's military strikes on Iran -- carried out by the United States and Israel -- mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. 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 added that he is focused on ensuring the safety of New Yorkers, saying he has been in contact with the city's Police...