Iran slams US for using 9/11 to justify war

Iran's Foreign Ministry has sharply criticized U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for using the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to justify the ongoing American military campaign against Tehran. The exchange highlights the deepening rhetorical battle between Washington and Tehran over the legitimacy of the conflict. In a statement posted on X on September 12, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused the United States of attempting to justify "a reckless and unlawful war against Iran" by invoking the memory of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Baghaei's remarks were a direct response to a speech Hegseth delivered at a Pentagon memorial ceremony on September 11. Hegseth, in his address, framed the current U.S. military operations against Iran as a continuation of America's post-9/11 counterterrorism mission. He described Iran as "the world's most prolific state sponsor of terrorism" and claimed the regime "cheered on 911." Hegseth asserted that U.S.