Trump Links Iran War to Lessons of 9/11 During 25th Anniversary Pentagon Speech
President Donald Trump marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with a speech at the Pentagon on Friday, connecting the lessons of 9/11 with the United States’ ongoing war against Iran and declaring that America must fight to win.
Speaking at the site where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, Trump honored the victims of the attacks and reflected on the national response that followed one of the darkest days in American history.
Trump said the country was renewing the commitment it made to those killed 25 years ago that they would never be forgotten. He then connected that pledge to the current conflict with Iran, saying the United States had no choice but to pursue victory.
“We fight hard. We fight to win,” Trump told those gathered for the anniversary ceremony. He said moments of national crisis reveal the character and resolve of the country and argued that Americans must remain both strong and smart while confronting threats.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also drew a connection between September 11 and the current conflict with Iran. The administration has presented the war as part of a broader struggle against threats to the United States and its interests in the Middle East.
The Pentagon ceremony was one of several commemorations taking place across the country Friday. Americans also gathered in New York City and Pennsylvania to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the coordinated terrorist attacks.
The anniversary carries particular significance this year because a quarter-century has now passed since hijacked commercial aircraft struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon, while another crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers.
Trump used the occasion to emphasize the importance of remembering both those who were killed and those who responded to the attacks. His remarks focused on the lasting national impact of September 11 while arguing that the determination demonstrated by Americans afterward remains relevant to the country’s current military challenges.
The president ultimately framed remembrance of 9/11 as more than a commemoration of the past. He argued that the sacrifices of those who died should reinforce the country’s determination to confront present-day threats and said the United States must remain committed to achieving victory in the conflicts it fights.