Trump uses 9/11 anniversary to justify war against Iran

President Donald Trump marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with a ceremony at the Pentagon, using the occasion to defend the ongoing U.S. war against Iran and vow that Tehran will never obtain a nuclear weapon. The conflict, now in its seventh month, has not achieved its stated goal of toppling the Iranian regime and is generating domestic political risks for Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections Source: ClarínSource: Excelsior.

The ceremony

Trump chose to attend the Pentagon commemoration rather than the main event in New York City's Ground Zero, where Vice President JD Vance, all living former U.S. presidents, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani were present Source: ABCSource: La Vanguardia. The ceremony included the reading of the 184 victims' names from the Pentagon attack, followed by remarks from Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Source: ABC.

Linking 9/11 to Iran

In his speech, Trump declared: "Today we renew the sacred oath we made a quarter of a century ago. Never, ever will we forget. That's why we fight today" Source: Infobae. He praised U.S. forces working to ensure that "the main state sponsor of terrorism in the world, the Islamic Republic of Iran, never, ever has a nuclear weapon" Source: CNN. Defense Secretary Hegseth echoed this, stating that "in the last six months, we have devastated the most prolific state sponsor of terrorism in the world" Source: Diario Libre.

Domestic and regional impact

Multiple sources report that the war has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, driving up gasoline prices in the U.S. and potentially hurting Republican candidates in November Source: ExcelsiorSource: El Nacional. Hegseth claimed the U.S. maintains "control" of the strait and that economic pressure on Iran "increases every day" Source: Listín Diario. Meanwhile, the conflict has spread regionally, with Iranian retaliatory strikes against Gulf neighbors and Houthi allies attacking Saudi Arabia Source: Diario Libre.