United States Marks 25th Anniversary of September 11 Attacks

The United States commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Friday with ceremonies at the World Trade Center site in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and in Pennsylvania. In New York, four former presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, joined Vice President JD Vance and other officials to honor the nearly 3,000 victims. The ceremony included the traditional reading of the victims' names and moments of silence marking the exact times the planes struck and the towers collapsed. For the first time, a moment of silence was also held for the thousands of people who have died since 2001 from illnesses caused by toxic dust at Ground Zero.

President Donald Trump did not attend the New York ceremony, choosing instead to commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon. During his speech, Trump stated that the U.S. would never forget the attacks and linked the remembrance to the current conflict with Iran. He asserted that Iran is the largest sponsor of global terrorism and vowed that the regime would not obtain a nuclear weapon. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also defended the war against Iran, stating that economic pressure on the country is increasing.

In New York, the event was marked by family members of the victims, some of whom were children at the time of the attacks. One widow, Terry Strada, used the occasion to demand accountability from Saudi Arabia for its alleged role in the attacks. The presence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also drew criticism from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who questioned Mamdani's views on the nature of the attacks.

International commemorations also took place, including an event in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park hosted by the charity Since 9/11. British officials and families of the 67 British citizens killed in the attacks gathered to remember the victims and emphasize the friendship between the U.S. and the U.K. Beyond the ceremonies, research highlighted a shift in public perception. A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates that many Americans now view domestic terrorism as a greater threat than foreign terrorism, a reversal from trends seen a decade ago.