As the United States deploys more military forces to the Middle East, Americans interviewed in New York City said the escalation feels familiar but troubling, voicing concern about the risk of conflict and skepticism about Washington's motives.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a "massive armada," led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and larger than the one previously deployed to Venezuela, is heading toward Iran, and warned Tehran that "time is running out" to reach a deal with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
The military buildup follows Trump's recent endorsement of Iran's anti-government protests.
On Monday, Iran warned of a "comprehensive and regret-inducing" response to any aggression.
In interviews with China Global Television Network (CGTN), New York City residents from a wide range of backgrounds said such military escalations have become somewhat routine, while voicing concern about the risk of conflict and uncertainty about where the situation may lead.
"Not that it's a big surprise for everyone, but like, I mean, we've seen sort of the world fall into chaos in the last, basically, decades, so it just feels like things are ramping up, like there's a new sort of escalation as to the stakes of everything," said Oscar Jones, a student.
"Am I concerned about it? I'm definitely concerned about it. I still remain kind of hopeful because I suppose I imagine things could have already gotten much worse by now than they have. So it seems like I hope cooler heads will prevail," said Kyle Oregon, a technician.
When asked about the motives behind the U.S. military deployments, residents described the situation as unpredictable and voiced suspicion that Washington’s actions were driven by economic interests, power, and global dominance.
"It's a little unpredictable, right? I mean, there's definitely interests that determine which countries to attack or which sort of resources to plunder around the globe," said Oscar Jones.
"I'm actually not sure where it's going to head to next, but I think like the general feeling that things are going to get worse is definitely founded in some truth," said Paula Boyle, a student.
"I don't know. Who knows, what is Trump's actual goal? Probably world domination and money and greed and power," said Lucia Vargas, a beauty salon worker.
New Yorkers voice concern, skepticism over motives behind US military buildup around Iran
New Yorkers voice concern, skepticism over motives behind US military buildup around Iran
