The president Donald Trump used the ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, held at the Pentagon, to issue a strong warning to Iran and to defend publicly the war that the United States is waging against that country.
In his speech before military personnel, first responders, and victims' families, he drew a direct line between the Islamist terrorism of 2001 and the Iranian nuclear threat of 2026, presenting the ongoing conflict as a continuation of that same struggle.
"We greet the members of the Armed Forces who are currently working to ensure that the main sponsor of terrorism in the world, the Islamic Republic of Iran, never, ever has a nuclear weapon," he stated.
The Republican leader stated that the United States cannot forget "that moment of immense and horrible evil" that occurred 25 years ago, and highlighted the country's response to that "perversity."
He also linked the memory of the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks with the ongoing military offensive: "Today we renew the sacred oath we took a quarter of a century ago. Never, ever will we forget. That is why we fight today. We have no other option. The only option is victory," he declared.
The president decided to attend the tribute at the Department of Defense instead of the one at Ground Zero in Manhattan, where Vice President JD Vance, the living former presidents of the country, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani participated.
According to a report by CNN, Trump chose that location because political speeches have been prohibited at Ground Zero in New York since 2012, in order to ensure a non-partisan stance during any commemorative event.
The conflict with Iran began on February 28 with the so-called Epic Fury Operation, a coordinated offensive between the United States and Israel against Iranian military and nuclear facilities.
In April, Trump announced a naval blockade against Iran explicitly linked to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capability.
There was an attempt at détente in June, when Trump announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding that opened a 60-day window for negotiating a broader peace agreement. But just days later, during the G7 summit, he warned that if the Islamic country attempted to acquire a bomb, “all hell will rain down on them”.
In March, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran possessed 5,500 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, enough to manufacture several nuclear bombs.
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