According to a report by CNN, dozens of protesters gathered in Manhattan, New York, on Saturday to demonstrate against the ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran.
The demonstrators called on the White House to prioritize domestic issues rather than continuing an armed conflict overseas. During the rally, participants chanted slogans such as “No war on Iran” and carried placards with messages including “Money for people’s needs, not war with Iran” and “Stop the war on Iran.”
Among those who spoke at the protest was Etan Mabourakh, whose family left Iran before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Mabourakh said many members of the Iranian-American community are frustrated by the escalation of the conflict and the lack of a clear end in sight.
Mabourakh, who works as an organizing manager with the National Iranian American Council, also accused U.S. President Donald Trump of going against earlier promises not to involve the country in prolonged foreign wars.
“Americans are tired of endless wars, and Donald Trump campaigned repeatedly saying he would not drag the country into another one,” Mabourakh said. He added that recent statements from the Pentagon suggesting the conflict could continue until September have raised further concerns.
Another protester, Dave Robinson, criticized the U.S. Congress for what he described as a failure to adequately check the powers of the executive branch.
“Something is deeply wrong, and you don’t have to be partisan to see that things have gone off the rails,” Robinson said, adding that citizens must continue to push for a different course.
Some participants, including members of the Iranian-American community, also questioned the motives behind the expansion of the conflict. They argued that any political change in Iran should ultimately be decided by the Iranian people themselves rather than being imposed from outside.