The United States marked the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks with solemn ceremonies, moments of silence, and tributes to the nearly 3,000 victims.
Commemorations were held on Thursday at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon, and the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
At the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, family members read aloud the names of victims while holding photographs of their loved ones.
A moment of silence was observed at the exact time the first hijacked plane struck the Twin Towers, underscoring the lasting weight of that morning.
This year’s 9/11 anniversary took place amid heightened political tensions following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah just a day earlier.
The incident prompted tighter security measures, reflecting concerns about public safety during national remembrances.
Among the dignitaries in attendance was FBI Director Kash Patel, representing the federal government at the New York ceremony.
US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance canceled plans to attend, instead traveling to Salt Lake City to meet Kirk’s grieving family.
The September 11 attacks carried enduring consequences, shaping U.S. domestic policy and global strategy for decades.
The al-Qaida plot, which killed 2,977 people, including first responders and financial workers, triggered the “Global War on Terror” and U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Yet, more than two decades later, justice for the attacks remains elusive.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind captured in Pakistan in 2003 and detained at Guantánamo Bay, has yet to face trial.
At Ground Zero, two memorial pools with cascading waterfalls now mark the footprints of the fallen towers, surrounded by parapets engraved with victims’ names.
The legacy of 9/11 also extends to health crises among survivors and first responders exposed to toxic dust from the collapsed towers.
The U.S. government has allocated billions for medical care and compensation, with over 140,000 people still enrolled in monitoring programs for related conditions.