Trump Vows Victory in Iran War at 9/11 Memorial as Inflation Crisis Looms

[Anchor]

Marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will achieve absolute victory in its war with Iran. However, with soaring inflation and oil prices ahead of the midterm elections in November, conditions both at home and abroad are increasingly diverging from President Trump's plans.

Our Washington correspondent, Lee Hanseok, reports.

[Reporter]

The Pentagon, which was targeted in the terrorist attacks alongside the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001.

Speaking at the 25th-anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Pentagon, U.S. President Trump emphasized that the nation will never forget that moment of immense and terrible evil, highlighting the justification for the war with Iran and vowing victory.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: We will never forget. That is why we fight today. We have no choice, and there is only victory.]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also joined in, pledging to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to secure control of the Strait of Hormuz to bring the war to an end.

The remarks are interpreted as an effort to reaffirm the legitimacy of the war with Iran, especially as voter dissatisfaction mounts ahead of the November midterm elections due to surging inflation.

In reality, the economic costs of the war are directly striking the U.S. economy.

U.S. consumer prices in August surged 3.4% compared to a year earlier, and rose 0.4% from the previous month.

Analysts point out that skyrocketing global oil prices, driven by instability in the Middle East, have heavily impacted inflation.

[Mark Müller / President, Iowa Corn Growers Association: Agricultural diesel prices, which were $2.29 per gallon a year ago in 2025, have more than doubled in just one year.]

With inflation growth far exceeding the Federal Reserve's 2% target, the market has priced in an 86% probability that the Federal Open Market Committee will raise benchmark interest rates next week.

The White House, which must prove the legitimacy of the war ahead of the November midterms, and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, who must tighten the money supply to rein in inflation, both face a critical test.

Video by Park Eun-ha | Video Editing by Lee Seung-jin
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.