How US leaders remembered the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

What Happened

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, US leaders used memorial ceremonies to make statements about the current US conflict with Iran. President Donald Trump, speaking at a Pentagon ceremony where 184 people died when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building, called the attacks "true evil" and linked them to his administration's war against Iran, saying the US fights "today" and vowing that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will never, ever have a nuclear weapon." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking shortly before Trump, claimed that over the past six months the US has "laid waste to the world's most prolific state sponsor of terrorism," referring to Iran, and asserted that the US military has destroyed Iran's defences and controls the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US is "sending terrorists … to hell, and tankers to the bottom of the ocean." The article states the US-Israeli war against Iran started on February 28, but provides no independent verification of Hegseth's battlefield claims.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The anniversary speeches signal that US leadership is publicly framing the current Iran conflict as a continuation of the post-9/11 "war on terror." Hegseth's unverified operational claims — that US forces control the Strait of Hormuz and have destroyed Iranian defences — would, if accurate, mark a major shift in regional maritime security and global oil transit. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran that began on February 28, according to the article, making the memorial a platform for war justification and raising the risk of escalation if such claims are contested or miscalculated.

Watch For

Monitor official US Central Command and Department of Defense statements verifying or walking back Hegseth's claims about the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian defences. Track Iranian state media and IRGC responses to the anniversary remarks. Watch IAEA reporting on Iran's nuclear programme for any acceleration or new findings. Also note whether commercial shipping resumes through the Strait of Hormuz, and follow the Michigan Senate race where Republican candidate Mike Rogers is attacking Democrat Abdul El-Sayed over his past 9/11 comments.