US defense chief vows to ‘finish this fight’ with Iran

Trump honours US troops who served in the 'war on terror,' as well as first responders and law enforcement officers

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed on Friday to “finish this fight” with Iran as he addressed a Pentagon ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Hegseth spoke alongside President Donald Trump and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the ceremony commemorating the victims of the attacks and honouring US military personnel and first responders.

“There are still enemies who hate us,” Hegseth said, warning that adversaries continued to seek to curb US power and kill American citizens, adding that Washington remained “vigilant” in the face of such threats.

Read: Hegseth warned against extending Iran war operations by military leaders

Turning to Iran, Hegseth said the US had “laid waste” to what he described as the “world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism” over the past six months.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US is tightening economic pressure on Iran and controls the Strait, adding, “We will finish this fight.” pic.twitter.com/YHc1QLfqzL

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 11, 2026

He accused Iran’s leadership of wishing the US “death for nearly half a century” and of cheering the Sept 11 attacks and sponsoring attacks against Americans for decades.

“But they did not factor in this president,” Hegseth said, referring to Trump.

He said US forces had killed Iranian leaders, destroyed the country’s air force and navy and eliminated its air defences.

“We’re still sending terrorists where they belong to hell, and tankers to the bottom of the ocean where they belong,” Hegseth said.

Read More: Pete Hegseth claims decisive US military victory over Iran

He added that Washington was working to ensure Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon,” while economic pressure on Tehran was tightening.

“We control the Strait,” Hegseth said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz. “We will finish this fight.”

Trump, for his part, honoured US troops who served in the “war on terror,” as well as first responders and law enforcement officers.

JUST IN: President Trump honors the fallen during the Pentagon's 9/11 Observance Ceremony, marking 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

"2,977 beautiful souls were ripped from our world, and many more died in the weeks and years after."

“Today we renew the sacred… pic.twitter.com/ohESo47qGr

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 11, 2026

“We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world's number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

“September 11th reminded us of the terrible power of hate,” Trump said, adding that the 25 years since the attacks had demonstrated the “even greater power of the American spirit to endure and prevail and to win.”

The attacks initiated the "war on terror," which led to the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq that lasted years. The resulting public backlash helped fuel Trump's rise a decade ⁠ago, when he vowed not to start new foreign entanglements - a promise being tested by the Iran war.

At home, Americans expressed deep solidarity and patriotism, as well as sorrow, in the immediate wake of the attacks. At the same time, however, Muslim Americans and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries faced a rise in prejudice and hate crimes.

Public polls have found 9/11 colors Americans' perceptions of Muslims to this day. Zohran Mamdani, New York's first Muslim mayor, faced calls from some Republicans to skip Friday's ceremony, which he rejected.