This year, President Donald Trump has taken several decisive military actions overseas, most recently in Iran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed late February in a major attack by Israel and the United States, throwing the future of the republic and the entire Middle East in doubt.
Many Brooklyn residents said they were not surprised by the coordinated attack, especially after the U.S. captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following military strikes in Caracas in January. That said, some felt anxiety over possible retaliation on U.S. soil, while others were critical of Washington’s focus on foreign policy when U.S. citizens were facing an affordability crisis, among many other issues.
Fort Greene resident Peter Sinclair said he wasn’t shocked to read about the attack on Iran.
“We live under an autocratic regime where the president feels like he can do anything without consulting anyone,” the accountant said.
That said, Sinclair, 62, said he sympathized with Persians across the U.S. who have mixed feelings about the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the fate of their country.
“Do you celebrate that a dictator has died or fear what will come next?” Sinclair said.
Sinclair, who takes the subway to work three times a week, said he was not fearful of a possibly retaliatory attack on U.S. soil.
“I remember the attacks on the World Trade Center and 9-11,” he said. “I think our surveillance and policing systems have advanced a lot since then so I choose to live my life as is and not let fear of something that might happen paralyze my actions.”
Charlie Kappes, a 27-year-old Bushwick resident, similarly said he wasn’t surprised, but didn’t believe the military action benefits the American people or will improve safety in the Middle East.
“I think it’s just going to create increased chaos, similar to the Iraq war, and just further U.S. imperialist goals to secure oil and result in unnecessary death,” Kappes said.
While Kappes said he feels safe in New York City in general, he thinks the recent military action only increases concerns there could be a retaliatory attack that could affect the city.
“New York is one of the prime targets for retaliatory terrorist attacks or political targeting,” Kappes said. “I don’t necessarily feel that unsafe, because I feel safe in New York in general, but I think it does nothing to increase safety.”
Bushwick resident Larimar Nunez said her immediate reaction to the attack on Iran was fear and anger.
“I fear for everyone affected both in Iran and in the U.S.,” Nunez said. “War is devastating for the whole world and no one wants this.”
The 28-year-old marketing professional added she wishes the Trump administration would focus more on domestic issues, such as the economy, instead of intervening in foreign affairs.
“I don’t want this war, I want the U.S. to stop meddling in foreign affairs,” Nunez said. “The United States has no moral right to go into Iran and wreak havoc on the Iranian people. We need to completely distance ourselves from the apartheid state of Israel and focus on rebuilding our relationships with foreign governments.”
Nunez, who said she works near the Iranian Embassy in Manhattan, said her employer informed the staff not to come into the office when the war began as a safety precaution.
“As a native New Yorker, I’m always vigilant on the train but this attack on Iran definitely has me more on edge than usual,” Nunez said.
She hopes New York leaders denounce the attacks and distance themselves from funding that supports the war.
“We have the power to stand up as New Yorkers and denounce these attacks,” Nunez said. “The governor needs to speak out, and the mayor must mobilize safety nets for people in case there is an attack on New York soil.”
Fort Greene resident Will Vera said he didn’t understand what Trump was doing but that “he’s pissing off a lot of people globally.”
“It saddens me knowing the fact that he's going around trying to bully his way, and a lot of it is really for his personal interest,” he said.
Despite statements from Brooklyn Congressmen Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries against the attack, Vera, 60, said that it wasn’t enough. “It gets to a point that we need action, regardless of what you're going to say.”
Abigail Simon, a 64-year-old artist who lives in upstate New York but comes back to Brooklyn almost weekly, said although she is worried for Iranians living in the U.S., she also thinks Trump’s foreign policy actions are to distract citizens from what’s happening domestically.
“I think that it is manipulation. I think part of it is to distract from the Epstein files, and part of it is to distract from several other issues that are not going well with the President. And it's also about the oil,” she said.
With midterm elections in November, Simon seemed lackluster about voting. “I don't think Schumer and Jeffries are the Democratic leaders right now. I think they have positions, but I don't think that they're being leaders.”
(Jeffries is running for re-election for New York’s 8th congressional district this year; Schumer is not up until 2028.)
Larissa Rodriguez, a mother of two in Sunset Park, said it was hard for her to focus on what the U.S. is doing overseas.
“I know many people may celebrate a regime change, but there are a lot of problems right here in the U.S.,” said Rodriguez, 37. “Everything happening in Washington is distracting.”
Rodriguez, who said half of her family immigrated from Puerto Rico, said there are a lot of problems in the U.S. territory, as well as in Brooklyn.
“We are all dealing with a lot,” she said. “High electric bills, food prices, housing. It’s hard to get into what’s happening in the Middle East when everyday problems eat up your mind.”
