'Never, ever forget' - America marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

September 12, 2026

The United States commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with ceremonies across multiple locations where the tragedies occurred. President Donald Trump led a Pentagon memorial service while Vice-President JD Vance joined all four living former presidents at the World Trade Center site in New York, where moments of silence marked the timing of each attack and nearly 3,000 victims' names were read aloud. The ceremonies included a special seventh bell ringing to honor the thousands who have since died from illnesses related to toxic exposure from the towers' collapse, a death toll that has exceeded the original attack casualties threefold.

Who is affected

Nearly 3,000 people who died in the original 9/11 attacks
Thousands who have died from 9/11-related illnesses (more than three times the original death toll)
9/11 families and survivors, including Janice Brooks and Terry Strada (widow of Tom Strada)
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (who lost his brother Gary and colleagues)
All living former US presidents and their families who attended
American citizens broadly

What action is being taken

Moments of silence are being held to mark the timing of each attack
Names of nearly 3,000 victims are being read out over nearly four hours
Bells are ringing to commemorate each plane crash and tower collapse
Two beams of light are illuminating the Manhattan sky as part of the Tribute in Light
New York state landmarks are lighting up in blue
Ceremonies are being held at multiple sites (World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania)

Why it matters

This milestone anniversary serves as a significant moment of national remembrance for one of the deadliest attacks on American soil. The commemoration highlights the ongoing impact of 9/11, particularly the revelation that 9/11-related illnesses have killed more than three times as many people as the original attacks. The event also underscores unresolved questions about accountability, as evidenced by Terry Strada's public criticism of Saudi Arabia, indicating that for many families, the pursuit of justice remains incomplete 25 years later. President Trump's linkage of the historical "war on terror" to current conflicts with Iran demonstrates how 9/11 continues to shape US foreign policy decisions.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC