The United States held nationwide commemorations to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, honoring the nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The primary memorial ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks took place at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. In New York, victims’ relatives continued the tradition of reading the names of the deceased and observing moments of silence at the times the hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and when the Twin Towers collapsed.

Breaking with usual practice, President Donald Trump attended the ceremony at the Pentagon this year—the site where 184 people perished in the 2001 attack. Speaking at the event, Mr. Trump said the U.S. honors “the beautiful souls taken from the world” on September 11, emphasizing that the nation would “never forget” the victims and their families.

Horrifying images of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives. (Photo: Reuters)
Mr. Trump also paid tribute to the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, who fought back against the hijackers, forcing the plane to crash into a field in Pennsylvania rather than striking a federal government building in Washington. In his address, President Trump linked the 9/11 attacks to current security challenges, including the conflict with Iran. He declared that the Islamic Republic of Iran would “never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons” and asserted that the U.S. must continue to fight to protect its national security. According to Mr. Trump, the United States has “no choice but to win.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described the September 11 attacks as one of the darkest days in American history, paying tribute to the victims, survivors, and first responders. Mr. Hegseth stated that, twenty-five years later, the United States remains strong and resilient.

In New York, Vice President JD Vance joined former presidents and local leaders at the memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. This year’s observance included a moment of silence for those who subsequently passed away from illnesses linked to toxic dust and working conditions following the attacks.

Ahead of this year’s commemoration, the New York Police Department stepped up its presence around the World Trade Center and other sensitive locations. City officials reported no specific threats, but security measures were heightened amidst rising international tensions and the evolving risk of extremist violence.

The attacks of September 11, 2001, profoundly transformed U.S. security, intelligence, and foreign policy, leading to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the expansion of counter-terrorism measures, and protracted wars abroad. Twenty-five years later, these commemorations serve not only to honor the victims but also to reflect on the event’s enduring impact on American society and global security policy. Also on September 11, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released 71 declassified documents related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, coinciding with the nation’s commemoration of the tragedy that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

According to the CIA, the released documents consist of intelligence products—specifically daily briefings—prepared by the CIA and other intelligence agencies for President Bill Clinton and his successor, George W. Bush. The documents cover the period from February 1998 to September 12, 2001—the day after the attacks. The CIA stated that this is the largest release to date of its intelligence analyses regarding the 9/11 attacks.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe described the move as an extraordinary act of transparency intended to honor the victims of the attacks. He noted that the American public can now directly view the intelligence information that preceded one of the most tragic days in U.S. history.

According to the CIA, the documents illustrate how U.S. analysts gradually identified the threat posed by Al-Qaeda and attempted to warn of attack plots orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, all while working with information that was fragmented, ambiguous, and incomplete at the time.

The 9/11 Commission—an independent, bipartisan panel established to investigate the attacks—concluded in its 2004 report that poor coordination between the FBI and the CIA, combined with a failure to fully grasp the scope of the threat, contributed to the U.S. security system’s inability to prevent the attacks. That report subsequently led to major overhauls of the U.S. security apparatus, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.