Twenty-five years have passed since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, events that changed the world and whose consequences are still felt today. On this anniversary, the United States honoured the memory of the 2,977 victims, including many firefighters and police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Across the country, commemorative ceremonies were held at the sites most directly affected by the tragedy. In New York, the bell of hope tolled at 8.46am, the moment the first hijacked plane struck the World Trade Center. Ground Zero, situated less than 100 metres from St. Paul’s Chapel, the church that miraculously survived the destruction, was once again the focal point for remembrance.
The official ceremony brought together prominent figures, including former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. Other attendees included current Vice President JD Vance, as well as former New York mayors Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio, and Rudy Giuliani, who was in office during the attacks, alongside Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim Speaker. Despite this political presence, the ceremony squarely focused on the victims and their families.
During the proceedings, every victim’s name was read aloud, interspersed with seven moments of silence observed at significant times corresponding to when each of the four planes crashed and when the Twin Towers collapsed. This year, a new moment of silence was added to honour those, now estimated at around 9,000, who have died in the past 25 years from illnesses related to the aftermath of 9/11.
While the main commemoration was held in New York, a significant political ceremony took place at the Pentagon in Virginia, near Washington, DC. Former US President Donald Trump used the occasion to pay tribute to the heroes of 9/11 but could not avoid linking the memorial to current US foreign policy, referencing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Trump stated: “And we thank all our military personnel who are currently ensuring that the number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never, absolutely never, possess nuclear weapons.”
His comments echoed the rhetoric of former President George W. Bush, who once designated Iran as part of the “axis of evil.” Former Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, speaking in a similar vein, warned of a persistent Islamist threat.
Hegseth declared: “September 11, 2001, was one of the darkest days in American history, but evil did not have the last word. It never will. 25 years later, America is stronger than ever, great and proud!”
Despite the ongoing importance of these commemorations, a whole generation, around 100 million Americans, has no personal memory of the attacks. For them, only the images remain; images that captured the world’s attention in 2001 and continue to hold significance a quarter of a century later.
