Trump Links 9/11 to Iran War at Pentagon Speech — SkimNews
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- Trump spoke at the Pentagon on September 11, 2026, vowing the U.S. would 'never, ever forget' and linking the current fight against Iran to the 'war on terror' launched 25 years ago.
- Trump connected the Bush-era fight against Al-Qaeda to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, now in its seventh month, calling Iran 'the world's number one sponsor of terror' and pledging it 'will never ever have a nuclear weapon.'
- Trump skipped the main 9/11 commemorations in New York, where the majority of the 2,977 victims were killed at the World Trade Center, and instead addressed the Pentagon, where 184 people died when a hijacked jet struck the building.
- Trump hit out at domestic 'fanatics' in an apparent swipe at Democrats during his speech, broadening his targets beyond foreign enemies to political opponents at home.
- First Lady Melania Trump accompanied the President as a single bell tolled and names of the 184 Pentagon victims were read out.
- The article notes a break from precedent: past presidents have marked major anniversaries by attending multiple sites including New York, rather than concentrating at a single location.
Why it matters: By recasting a seven-month-old war against Iran as a seamless extension of the post-9/11 mission, Trump fuses a solemn national anniversary with an active military conflict, giving the Iran war a patriotic frame while skipping the larger NYC ceremony — a departure from how previous presidents have honored the day.
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