Donald Trump marked his third 9/11 anniversary as president on Wednesday amid his growing frustration about what he calls the "endless war" in Afghanistan, where al-Qaida conceived the deadly 2001 attacks.
It has been 18 years since al-Qaida hijackers commandeered four US commercial airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Like Presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush, Trump marked the day with the war still raging.
In a proclamation marking the anniversary as "Patriot Day," Trump reflected on how many Americans recall the moment when the terror group conducted the largest attack on American soil, killing nearly 3,000 people.
"A beautiful September morning was marred by stark disbelief, agonizing sorrow, and profound suffering," Trump said in a statement on Tuesday. "America's strength, courage, and compassion, however, never wavered."