Mayor Zohran Mamdani may not be a fan of what he’s called an “illegal war of aggression” on Iran — but on Tuesday, he stressed his criticism of the joint U.S./Israel air strikes should not be confused with a defense of the oppressive regime.

Mamdani described Iran’s government as “brutal” and repressive while cautioning against U.S.-led regime change in the country. He also repeated there are currently no specific threats to NYC despite heightened global tensions and increased security measures.