Trump and Hegseth use 9/11 25th anniversary ceremony at Pentagon to defend the war on Iran
On September 11, 2026, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered remarks at the Pentagon ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, drawing parallels between the 2001 attacks and the ongoing US-Iran war that began on February 28, 2026. Trump chose to attend the Pentagon ceremony rather than the Ground Zero event in New York, which was attended by Vice President JD Vance and four living former presidents. Victims' family members at the New York ceremony criticized Saudi Arabia's role in the attacks and called for accountability.
- CNNfirst
- Politico+24 min
- Washington Times+6.8 h
- Bloomberg+6.9 h
- NY Post+7.1 h
- The Hill+7.9 h
- The Guardian+9.2 h
- Times of Israel+11.2 h
- Al Jazeera+11.5 h
- New York Times+11.8 h
- Breitbart+13.5 h
Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
“Trump and Hegseth use 9/11 memorial remarks at Pentagon to defend war on Iran”G The Guardian LEFT
“Trump links Iran war to 9/11 in 25th anniversary speech at Pentagon: 'That's why we fight today'”NYP NY Post RIGHT
“Trump, Hegseth tie Iran war to 9/11 in speeches at Pentagon” · Al Jazeera, Times of Israel, Politico, The Hill, Bloomberg