Lurking in Trump’s 9/11 Tribute, a Defense of His War With Iran

They were brief but unmistakable allusions in President Trump’s uncharacteristically disciplined speech at the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. At moments in his remarks at the Pentagon on Friday morning, Mr. Trump justified his decision to attack Iran this year by invoking the lessons of a quarter-century ago, casting it as an extension of the war on terrorism that began in the hours after the World Trade Center towers fell. “Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago: We will never, ever forget,” Mr. Trump said of those killed in New York, in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. “That’s why we fight today.” “We don’t have a choice,” he continued. “There can only be victory. We fight hard. We fight to win.” At another moment, he added: “On days like 9/11, we learn what a country is truly made of. We’re learning right now what we’re made of, and we have to be strong and we have to be smart.” At no point did Mr. Trump suggest that Iran was itself involved in the terrorist attacks that day, though for a quarter-century Tehran’s still-murky links to a small number of Qaeda leaders has prompted debate, and fueled conspiracy theories. The president instead appeared to be asserting that after 9/11, no risk can be tolerated — a head-spinning turn toward the same line of reasoning used by previous American officials in the “forever wars” that Mr. Trump has long denounced. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe .