US leaders mark 9/11 anniversary as remembrance collides with wartime politics
The 25th anniversary commemorations honoured 2,977 victims while political leaders used separate appearances to argue over national security, inclusion and the legacy of the attacks.
US officials have commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks at ceremonies and through public statements honouring the 2,977 people killed. Four hijacked planes struck the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a site in Pennsylvania.
President Donald Trump remained in Washington, DC, and spoke at a ceremony at the Pentagon. In remarks reported by Al Jazeera Global News, he paid tribute to the victims before linking the attacks to his administration’s war against Iran, saying the United States had to fight and that “there can only be victory”.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also connected the anniversary with military action against Iran. He described Iran as a continuing threat and claimed that it had “cheered” the 9/11 attacks. His remarks included assertions about Iran’s defences, the Strait of Hormuz and the course of the conflict that were not independently verified in the source material.
Vice-President JD Vance attended the memorial ceremony at the World Trade Centre in New York, where an established policy bars political speeches by attending politicians. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was also present but did not speak. In a video message, Mamdani called for civic solidarity and urged people to honour the dead through service to one another.
Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, has faced criticism from conservative politicians and some victims’ families over his attendance. He also released documents alleging that city officials sought to downplay or mislead residents about dangerous air-quality conditions after the attacks; those claims were not independently substantiated in the material.
In Michigan, Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed rejected claims that he justified the attacks, writing that nothing could justify the killing of innocent civilians. He called for a more inclusive, empowering and just country, as Republican opponent Mike Rogers continued to highlight reported past comments and his political associations.
