9/11 ceremony live updates: Families to gather at WTC, Pentagon, Shanksville to mark 25 years

Ceremonies will be held in New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

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Last updated: Friday, September 11, 2026 3:27PM GMT
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NEW YORK -- Friday marks 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, which claimed the lives of 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Another 9,000 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses over the last 25 years.

Victims' families, first responders and politicians will gather on Friday for annual remembrance ceremonies as Americans across the country pause to remember and reflect.

"9/11 Tribute in Light: Live from Lower Manhattan," a one-hour ABC News multiplatform live special, premieres on Friday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. EDT on this ABC station, Disney+, Hulu, National Geographic and ABC News Live.

A flower placed at the memorial is seen in front of the Freedom Tower during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.
A flower placed at the memorial is seen in front of the Freedom Tower during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001.
Spencer Platt/Pool Photo via AP

ByLucien Bruggeman and Aaron Katersky ABCNews logo
1 hour ago

9/11 widow calls on Trump to hold Saudis accountable for role in attacks

Cheers erupted during the Manhattan ceremony after Terry Strada, who lost her husband Tom on 9/11, condemned Saudi Arabia for its alleged role in the terrorist attacks.

"You are missed more with every day that passes, but how can it be 25 years and we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder," she said of her husband.

Terry Strada, whose husband, Tom, died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, said that she and other people who lost family members still hope a trial will someday happen.
Terry Strada, whose husband, Tom, died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, said that she and other people who lost family members still hope a trial will someday happen.

As ABC News reported last week, a coalition of victims' families are suing the Saudi government over its alleged role and have continued to pursue evidence they say points to deep Saudi complicity. The Saudis deny that claim and are fighting the suit in court.

The Saudis have repeatedly denied having any role in facilitating the attacks and replied in court that they remain "an ally of the United States (and) a sworn enemy of Al Qaeda."

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told ABC News last week that, "President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in history, and his team is working diligently to identify records that are responsive to these families' request."

Strada called out "administration after administration" for choosing "to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families."

"President Trump can still change that. Tell the Saudis to stop lying," she said.

Strada finished her speech by talking directly to Vice President JD Vance, who was in attendance, and told him to carry that message to the president.

"Stand with survivors, stand with Americans," she said. "As my husband Tom would have said, that is always the right thing to do. God bless all of us. God bless America."

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1 hour and 29 minutes ago

6th moment of silence remembers North Tower collapse

The sixth moment of silence was held at 10:28 a.m., to mark the moment the World Trade Center's North Tower collapsed, nearly 30 minutes after the South Tower fell.

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1 hour and 30 minutes ago

Trump speaks at Pentagon ceremony

The president addressed the crowd at the 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon.

Trump reflected on the horrors of the attack and the thousands killed in on 9/11, but noted the strong response from America against its enemies.

"That's why we fight today," he said. "We do not have a choice, we can only have victory."

President Donald Trump speaks during an observance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at the Pentagon in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks during an observance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at the Pentagon in Washington.
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1 hour and 52 minutes ago

5th moment of silence marks United Airlines Flight 93 crash

The fifth moment of silence was held at 10:03 a.m., to mark the moment passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers, resulting in the plane crashing into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.