Trump, Hegseth push Iran war at Pentagon 9/11 memorial

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks at the Pentagon on Friday, drawing parallels between the 2001 attacks and the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. Hegseth emphasized that the United States still faces adversaries intent on causing harm, portraying the Iran conflict as part of the ongoing fight against terrorism.

"The struggle against evil continued and it continues now," Hegseth stated. "There are still enemies who hate us. Every day enemies plot to curb our power and kill our citizens, including from Islamic terrorists abroad and at home."

Hegseth highlighted the impact of the six-month war on Iran, asserting that the U.S. has neutralized key Iranian leaders, destroyed the country's air force, and eliminated defenses. "We are ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," Hegseth declared. "The economic pressure tightens every day. We control the Strait [of Hormuz]. We will finish this fight."

While President Trump largely adhered to the event's focus on remembering the victims of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent national unity, he interjected the current military campaign into the commemoration. Trump paid tribute to U.S. troops deployed overseas, pledging, "We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world’s number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never ever have a nuclear weapon."