Trump and Hegseth use 9/11 Pentagon memorial to justify Iran war as anti-terror fight
On the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a memorial ceremony at the Pentagon to link the ongoing U.S. war with Iran to the legacy of 9/11, calling Iran the world's number one state sponsor of terror. Critics argue the remarks conflate the events and exploit the anniversary to justify a conflict that has killed 18 U.S. service members and up to 8,000 civilians.
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Trump Leads 9/11 Commemoration at Pentagon on 25th Anniversary of Attacks
President Donald Trump, alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, led a commemoration at the Pentagon marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The event honored the 184 victims killed when hijacked Flight 77 struck the building, as well as the 2,977 total lives lost that day in New York, Washington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A large American flag was unfurled on the Pentagon wall, replicating the flag raised by first responders on September 12, 2001. Speakers vowed to 'never forget' the attacks and praised the courage of survivors, first responders, and military personnel. Trump described the attack's victims and called the American spirit powerful enough to endure and prevail. Rice recounted her experience in the White House bunker and highlighted the bravery of military and civilians. Hegseth noted that many current service members were not yet born on 9/11, emphasizing the need to pass down the memory. Both Trump and Hegseth referenced ongoing conflict with Iran, calling it the world's number one state sponsor of terror.
Trump ties 9/11 legacy to Iran war in Pentagon memorial remarks
On the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a memorial ceremony at the Pentagon to link the legacy of 9/11 to the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran. According to reports from The Washington Post and The Guardian, Trump's remarks framed the Iran war as a continuation of the post-9/11 fight against terrorism, drawing criticism from some observers who view the connection as a political justification for the conflict. The event was part of nationwide commemorations marking a quarter-century since the attacks, with families gathering at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Other news outlets, including The New York Times and ABC7 New York, covered the broader remembrance ceremonies, while WBAL-TV reported on Trump and other leaders reflecting on the anniversary. The Guardian specifically noted that Trump and Hegseth used the occasion to defend the war on Iran, suggesting a strategic effort to align current military actions with the national trauma of 9/11.
Read sourceTrump Uses 9/11 Anniversary Speech to Promote War with Iran, Critics Warn of Destabilization
On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, President Trump used a speech at the Pentagon to promote the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, calling Iran the 'world's number one sponsor of terror' and vowing to prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also used the memorial event to justify the conflict, claiming Iran 'cheered on 9/11,' though Iran officially condemned the attacks in 2001. The article, published by The New Republic, criticizes this rhetoric as a continuation of post-9/11 policies that led to costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It notes that the current war with Iran has killed 18 U.S. service members and up to 8,000 civilians, disrupted the global economy, and shows no signs of ending despite periodic ceasefires. The piece argues that Trump, who previously criticized the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is repeating past blunders and risks creating a worse quagmire in Iran.
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Trump Uses 9/11 Anniversary Speech to Promote War with Iran, Critics Say
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, President Trump used a speech at the Pentagon to promote the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, saluting service members working to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also used the memorial event to push the war, claiming Iran cheered on 9/11, despite Iran officially condemning the attacks in 2001. The article, from The New Republic, criticizes this as a continuation of post-9/11 U.S. policy that led to costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It reports that the war with Iran has killed 18 U.S. service members and up to 8,000 civilians across the Middle East, disrupted the global economy, and shows no signs of stopping. The piece argues that Trump, who previously criticized the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is restarting those blunders and risks creating a worse quagmire in Iran.
Trump Uses 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Ceremony to Justify War Against Iran
On September 11, 2026, US President Donald Trump used the 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Pentagon to justify the ongoing war against Iran. In his speech, Trump stated, 'We will never, never forget. That is why we fight today. We have no choice. There can only be victory,' and declared that Iran will 'never possess a nuclear weapon.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who calls himself War Minister, said in his own speech that over the past six months they had reduced the world's most significant state sponsor of terrorism to rubble and ashes. The ceremony marked the 25th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden, as well as current Vice President J.D. Vance, also attended the memorial in New York. Prior to the event, media speculated that Trump had wanted to speak at Ground Zero in Manhattan, but politicians have not given speeches there for years. Trump dismissed the report as false.
Trump and Hegseth Link Iran War to 9/11 in Pentagon Memorial Speech
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a 9/11 memorial speech at the Pentagon, explicitly linked the ongoing war with Iran to the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to multiple news reports, including The Hill, The Guardian, Bloomberg, USA Today, and The Washington Post, Trump and Hegseth used the solemn anniversary to defend the military campaign against Iran, characterizing it as a continuation of the fight against terrorism that began with 9/11. Trump reportedly referred to Iran as the 'number one sponsor of terror' and framed the conflict as part of the legacy of the 2001 attacks. The remarks have drawn criticism for conflating the two events and for using a memorial ceremony to justify current military policy. The event took place at the Pentagon, one of the sites of the 9/11 attacks, marking a significant rhetorical move by the administration to connect the Iran war to the post-9/11 security paradigm.
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