Families of September 11 victims used the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks to renew pressure on President Donald Trump to confront Saudi Arabia over allegations of links between Saudi nationals and the hijackers, turning an emotional memorial ceremony into a renewed demand for accountability.
At the ceremony in New York, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed in the attacks, broke from the traditional reading of victims’ names to directly challenge the US government’s long-standing approach to Saudi Arabia. Strada, a leading figure in the 9/11 Families United group, argued that successive administrations had prioritized relations with Riyadh over the interests of victims’ families.
Her appeal was directed in part toward Vice President JD Vance, who attended the Ground Zero ceremony alongside former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Trump did not attend the New York ceremony, instead appearing at a separate memorial at the Pentagon.
Strada urged the administration to push Saudi officials to acknowledge what the families say was a role in supporting people connected to the attacks. The Saudi government has consistently denied involvement in the September 11 plot.
The dispute centers partly on evidence concerning Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who lived in the United States and had contact with two of the hijackers. The families have pursued a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, arguing that Saudi officials or agents provided assistance to people who later participated in the attacks. The litigation remains unresolved, with a federal appeals court examining Saudi Arabia’s challenge.
The families’ renewed campaign comes as Washington and Riyadh maintain close strategic relations. Saudi Arabia remains an important US partner in the Middle East, with extensive cooperation involving defense, intelligence, energy and regional security. That relationship has repeatedly complicated efforts by 9/11 families to obtain greater disclosure and accountability.
For Trump, the issue presents a particularly difficult political balance. He has cultivated a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and has sought to strengthen economic and strategic ties between Washington and Riyadh. At the same time, Trump’s political identity has long emphasized confronting terrorism and protecting American national security.
The pressure from the families therefore puts an uncomfortable question before the administration: how far is Washington prepared to go in investigating or challenging a strategically important partner when victims’ relatives continue to demand answers?
The timing is especially significant because the 25th anniversary has prompted the release of additional previously classified material. US authorities have begun making public documents related to the attacks and the intelligence failures that preceded them, giving families another opportunity to demand that remaining records be disclosed. A large release of CIA analysis has added to the broader push for transparency.
The anniversary itself was marked by ceremonies across the United States honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. At Ground Zero, moments of silence were held for the hijacked flights, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers and, for the first time, people who have died from illnesses associated with exposure to toxic dust after the attacks.
At the Pentagon, Trump delivered remarks emphasizing national resilience and the continuing fight against terrorism. His appearance was separate from the New York ceremony, where Vance represented the administration.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also used their Pentagon remarks to connect the legacy of September 11 with the current US conflict with Iran. That broader political framing drew criticism from some observers who argued that the anniversary should remain focused primarily on victims and their families.
The Saudi question, however, remains one of the most persistent unresolved issues surrounding September 11. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, though that fact alone does not establish that the Saudi government directed or supported the attacks. The families’ legal case instead focuses on alleged assistance from particular Saudi-linked individuals.
For the families, 25 years have not diminished the demand for answers. Strada’s intervention demonstrated that the anniversary remains not only a moment of remembrance but also a platform for unresolved grievances.
Whether Trump responds with additional document releases, diplomatic pressure or no major policy change could determine how far the latest campaign goes. For now, the families have succeeded in putting Saudi Arabia back at the center of the 9/11 accountability debate at a moment when the US-Saudi relationship remains strategically important to Washington.
