Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Iran and US Clash Over Terrorism Claims on 9/11 Anniversary
Iran and the United States are arguing about terrorism and a military conflict.
The argument happened around the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Iran’s spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the attackers were not Iranian.
He accused the United States of using the anniversary to defend its actions against Iran.
Baghaei also criticized the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that followed September 11.
He used a joke image from Despicable Me to mock the American argument.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iran has supported attacks against Americans for many years.
Hegseth said US military and economic pressure on Iran would continue.
The two governments therefore describe the conflict and the meaning of terrorism in very different ways.
Iranian spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected any Iranian role in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Baghaei accused Pete Hegseth of invoking the 25th anniversary to justify what Iran calls an unlawful war against Tehran.
Hegseth described US military action against Iran as part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign.
Hegseth claimed US forces had killed Iranian leaders and destroyed Iran’s air force, navy, and defenses.
The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, according to official US figures.
- Who
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
- What
- A public dispute over whether the September 11 anniversary supports the US case for military action against Iran.
- When
- September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
- Where
- Hegseth spoke at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, while Baghaei issued his response on X.
- Why
- Hegseth framed US action against Iran as counterterrorism, while Baghaei rejected that framing and accused Washington of double standards.
Iran’s Position
United States’ Position
Iran’s connection to September 11
Iran’s Position
Baghaei said the perpetrators were not Iranians and rejected any attempt to associate Iran with the attacks.
United States’ Position
Hegseth said Iran had supported terrorist attacks against Americans for decades and had cheered the September 11 attacks.
Purpose of US military action
Iran’s Position
Baghaei said Washington was invoking the anniversary to justify a reckless and unlawful war against Iran.
United States’ Position
Hegseth presented US operations against Iran as part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign and vowed to finish the fight.
Use of force and terrorism
Iran’s Position
Baghaei accused the United States of claiming special authority to define terrorism while carrying out attacks, assassinations, and actions that Iran says caused civilian casualties.
United States’ Position
Hegseth defended continued military and economic pressure, saying it was necessary to eliminate threats from Iran and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
- September 11 attacks
- Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft on September 11, 2001, according to the articles.
- Death toll
- The attacks killed 2,977 people, according to official US figures.
- Iranian response
- Esmaeil Baghaei said the perpetrators were not Iranian and called the US justification for war against Iran reckless and unlawful.
- US response
- Pete Hegseth described Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism and presented US military action as part of a continuing counterterrorism mission.
- US military claims
- Hegseth said US forces had killed Iranian leaders and destroyed Iran’s air force, navy, and defenses.
- Continued pressure
- Hegseth said military and economic pressure on Iran would continue and that the United States would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
- Iranian criticism
- Baghaei said the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq caused occupation, civilian deaths, and widespread devastation.
