Victims' relatives used the 25th anniversary to press unresolved questions about accountability even as national leaders marked the day, signalling that demands for answers will outlast the ceremonies. At the World Trade Center site, the names of nearly 3,000 people who died were read across almost four hours, punctuated by moments of silence timed to each plane impact and two vertical beams of light for the Tribute in Light.
George W Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended the Ground Zero service alongside first ladies. Vice-President JD Vance was also present in Manhattan. President Donald Trump led a separate commemoration at the Pentagon, where cabinet secretaries stood with Condoleezza Rice, who was national security adviser on 9/11.
Speaking at the Pentagon, Mr Trump said, "Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago," and added, "We will never, ever forget. That's why we fight today." He linked the anniversary to his Iran policy, saying the Islamic Republic "will never, ever have a nuclear weapon."
Survivors and family members gave vivid, personal testimony. Janice Brooks, who had been working on the 84th floor of the South Tower, described evacuating after the first plane and hearing what she called "one of those horror film screams" when the second plane struck. Organisers added a seventh bell to honour thousands who later died from illnesses tied to dust and smoke from the towers' collapse. US health officials say those illnesses have since claimed more than threefold the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 11 September.
Calls for further accountability punctuated the memorials. Terry Strada, national chairperson of 9/11 Families United, criticised Saudi Arabia and alleged failures by US officials to hold the kingdom to account, saying, "You are missed more with each year that passes," and, "But how can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder?" The 9/11 Commission Report in 2004 concluded it had "found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded" al-Qaeda, leaving the kingdom's role contested in public remarks.
Commemorations extended beyond Washington and New York. Relatives and officials gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Overseas events included a service at Buckingham Palace attended by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and US ambassador Warren Stephens, and observances at the Toronto Stock Exchange. In Gander, Newfoundland, US ambassador Pete Hoekstra thanked the town that sheltered diverted passengers, saying, "When people in America hear the word Gander, our hearts soften," and, "As a representative of the United States government, thank you for your friendship... to the nation of Canada, thank you for being a partner and for the shared sacrifices that you made with us."
The day combined the rituals of naming and timing with fresh, personal accounts of trauma and long-term loss. Families used the platform to renew public pressure for answers and care, while leaders pledged remembrance, leaving unresolved disputes over justice and the health toll very much alive going forward.
