Trump vows Iran will never get nuclear weapons at 9/11 anniversary

US President Donald Trump, speaking at a solemn ceremony marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks, vowed that Iran would never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. He honoured victims, first responders, and military personnel, while senior officials including Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth and Condoleezza Rice reflected on the tragedy and its enduring impact.

Washington:  US President Donald Trump pledged on Friday that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon as he marked 25 years since the September 11 attacks and promised that America would never forget the victims of the terror attack which happened 25 years ago.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will never ever have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

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He paid tribute to US troops serving abroad, first responders and the families whose loved ones were killed in the attacks.

“We have to be strong and we have to be smart,” he said.

Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said the US was tightening economic pressure on Iran and would “finish this fight”.

He also said American forces were working to ensure Iran never acquired a nuclear weapon.

The names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77 were read aloud.

Solemn music, a moment of silence and a prayer followed, the pool report said.

“We were all New Yorkers that day,” Trump said.

“No one can ever prepare for a day like 9/11.”

He honoured New York firefighter Timmy Stackpole, who returned to work after suffering severe burns, then died responding to the attacks.

Trump recognised his widow, Tara, and members of their family at the ceremony.

He said their children had carried forward their father’s example through military service, firefighting and raising families of their own.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged that those in authority had not recognised the danger in time to prevent the attacks.

“We did what we knew to do but by definition, it was not enough,” she said.

Rice added that she would always carry “deep personal remorse” for the pain of the victims’ families and the trauma the country endured.

She recalled being hurried to a White House bunker and seeing television images of a smoking crater in the Pentagon.

She also described rescuers working for more than 24 hours with virtually no rest.

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine recalled service members and civilians entering smoke and fire to rescue colleagues.

He honoured the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, who acted to save strangers they would never meet.

“We can’t restore what was taken from us that day, but we can make and continue to hold a solemn promise, never to forget,” Caine said.

The September 11, 2001, attacks killed 2,977 people.

Hijackers flew two passenger planes into New York’s World Trade Centre and a third into the Pentagon. A fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back.

The attacks prompted NATO to invoke Article 5, its collective defence provision, for the first time. The clause treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all.