‘World’s No. 1 Sponsor Of Terror’: Trump Backs Iran War On 9/11 Anniversary, Says Tehran Won’t Get Nuclear Weapon

Washington: On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, United States President Donald Trump backed Washington's military campaign against Iran and underlined that Tehran will never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons.

On Friday, Trump addressed at a solemn memorial event at the Pentagon, honoring the 184 individuals lost at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77 during the 9/11 attacks.

“We’re being tested today, and we’re winning that test very handily,” Trump said during his address. The President also paid tribute to first responders, law enforcement personnel and US service members who have taken part in the country’s “war on terror”. 

“And we salute the service members working right now to ensure the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never ever have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Trump Says US Is Winning Its Fight Against Iran 

Trump's comments come as his government faced questions about its military campaign against Tehran and its professed goal of preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.

The Trump administration has insisted that Iran must cease its nuclear program and has regularly threatened to shut down its nuclear facilities. Tehran, on the other hand, has long denied suspicions that it is pursuing nuclear weapons, claiming that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The US President's words come amid ongoing tensions over Iran's nuclear program and international pressure on Tehran. Iran has vigorously protested a recent vote by the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors that referred the country to the United Nations Security Council over alleged nuclear "non-compliance".

Iran’s representative to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the resolution was adopted under political pressure from the United States and its allies.

Hegseth Says Iran's Defences Have Been Destroyed

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who also spoke at the Pentagon ceremony, provided a stronger defense of the US military campaign against Iran. Before focusing on Washington's activities against Tehran, Hegseth depicted the US as facing dangers from its enemies, including "Islamic terrorists abroad and at home".

“Over the past six months, we have laid waste to the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism,” Hegseth said.

“Our warriors have fought an Islamic theocracy that has wished us death for nearly half a century, that cheered on 9/11 - a regime that has sponsored terrorist attacks against Americans for decades, killing thousands including our comrades in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Hegseth then credited Trump for what he described as major US military gains against Iran.

“The United States killed their leaders, destroyed their air force, and their navy rests at the bottom of the sea. Their defenses are gone,” Hegseth said.

“We’re still sending terrorists where they belong - to hell - and tankers to the bottom of the ocean where they belong, and we are ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. The economic pressure tightens every day. We control the strait. We will finish this fight.”

Iran Hits Back, Warns Of Wider Impact Of US Pressure

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meantime, stated that Tehran is under intense political and military pressure as the battle with the United States continues. Speaking on the margins of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Friday, Pezeshkian stated that the conflict's impact was felt far beyond Iran, notably due to the pressure on commerce, energy, infrastructure, and financial institutions.

"Iran has been subjected to heavy sanctions in recent years; this pressure has reached a critical and dangerous stage in recent months following the military aggression by the United States and Israel," Pezeshkian said.

"When a country is subjected to political and military pressure on its trade, energy, infrastructure and financial system, the repercussions extend beyond its borders," he added.

Iran has also blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically crucial waterway connecting Iran and Oman. The disruption has contributed to an increase in global crude prices, raising fears about the conflict's overall economic impact.

The Iran war has also become increasingly unpopular among sections of the American public, with issues over the rising cost of living adding to pressure on the Trump administration as the President’s approval ratings continue to decline, including among his political base.

Despite Trump and Hegseth's insistence that the United States is winning the fight, the government has not fully fulfilled all of the goals it laid out at the start of the campaign.

Trump's decision to attend the Pentagon's 9/11 event rather than the main commemoration at Ground Zero in New York City represented a break from how US presidents have typically honored the anniversary. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.

Vise President JD Vance represented Trump at the New York ceremony, as did all living previous presidents. Trump also denied a New York Times claim that he skipped the Ground Zero commemoration because he planned to give a speech there. The yearly gathering has a longtime policy of prohibiting political speeches.