US marks 25 years since 9/11 attacks as New York and Pentagon hold separate ceremonies
Ceremonies in New York and at the Pentagon commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, with four former presidents at Ground Zero while Donald Trump spoke in Virginia.
Commemorations in New York and Washington
Ceremonies marking 25 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks took place in New York and at the Pentagon on Friday. At Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, families of the victims gathered around the two memorial pools inscribed with the names of the dead. Formal readings of the victim names commenced at 08:40 local time, accompanied by a bell tolling seven times to designate key moments of the 2001 attacks. Vice President JD Vance attended the New York service alongside four former US presidents: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
- Attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon kill 2,977 people.
- Donald Trump attends the Ground Zero memorial ceremony for the last time.
- Donald Trump approves congressional decision designating September 11 as Patriot Day.
- Ground Zero memorial service commences with name readings and seven bell tolls.
Saudi Arabia role raised at Ground Zero
During the podium readings at Ground Zero, which are designated for reading victim names and personal remembrances, family member Terry Strada deviated from the official program to address foreign state involvement. She criticized decades of government policy regarding the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the lack of judicial resolution for the victims' families.
Yes, we were finally able to bring this case to court and establish that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia had fostered a sickening culture of anti-American terrorism throughout the world.
Strada directly addressed the leaders in attendance, asserting that successive administrations had shielded foreign officials rather than supporting the families. She requested that Vice President Vance convey a demand to Saudi authorities to cease false claims. A portion of the audience applauded her statement.
Trump attends Pentagon ceremony
President Donald Trump commemorated the anniversary at the Pentagon in Virginia, marking his second consecutive year skipping the New York ceremony. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum strictly bars active political figures from delivering speeches during the Ground Zero proceedings. By contrast, the ceremony at the Pentagon headquarters permitted a formal address from the president. Reporting cited in coverage also noted that Trump was scheduled to travel to an Irish golf property on Saturday, with a Maryland departure causing less travel disruption than operations in New York.
Exposure toll and mayoral disputes
The 25-year milestone drew renewed attention to the ongoing health consequences of the disaster. Federal medical monitoring data records that while 2,977 individuals died on the day of the attacks, more than 9,400 additional people have since died from conditions related to toxic exposure at the site.
- Day-of attack deaths
- 2977
- Post-exposure illness deaths
- 9400
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor sworn in on a Quran, attended the Ground Zero service. Earlier in the week, Mamdani released thousands of municipal documents concerning past city communications about air toxicity following the tower collapses.
People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied to them by telling them they could safely breathe toxic air.
Mamdani's participation drew public opposition from several conservative figures, including former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who expressed offense at his presence. A petition gathering more than 100,000 signatures had demanded that the 34-year-old mayor be excluded from the memorial events.
