US President Donald Trump participated in a ceremony at the Pentagon to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, guaranteeing that the United States "will never forget" the attacks that killed 2,977 people. Trump was born in New York, but chose to participate in the tribute at the Defense Department headquarters instead of "Ground Zero" in Manhattan, where Vice President JD Vance, all living former presidents of the country, and the mayor of New York City were present.
During his speech, Trump defended the war started by his administration against Iran, promising that the Islamic Republic will never obtain a nuclear weapon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also supported the war by stating that economic pressure on Iran "increases every day" and that the United States maintains "control" of the Strait of Hormuz.
The 2001 attacks, carried out by Al-Qaeda, caused approximately 3,000 deaths and triggered the so-called "war on terrorism," as well as the US invasion of Afghanistan. It was the only time NATO's Article 5, which provides for the solidarity clause among member countries, was activated.
Trump sought to leave a note of hope by stating that "September 11 reminded us of the terrible power of hatred" but that "the 25 years that followed have shown us the even greater power of the American spirit to resist and prevail." The United States has been at war against Iran for more than six months, which has failed to achieve the stated goal of overthrowing the ayatollah regime.
