Terry Strada, whose husband died in the North Tower during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, accused Saudi Arabia of evading responsibility at the 25th anniversary ceremony in New York. She also criticized successive U.S. administrations for protecting the kingdom rather than supporting victims’ families. Strada directed her appeal to Vice President JD Vance, asking him to take the message to President Donald Trump. Her remarks came as a federal lawsuit alleging Saudi support for two future al Qaeda hijackers remains pending.
| 1) | Strada’s accusation at Ground Zero |
| 2) | A direct appeal to Vice President Vance |
| 3) | Tom Strada’s death in the North Tower |
| 4) | The lawsuit and allegations against Saudi Arabia |
| 5) | JASTA’s role in enabling the case |
Strada’s accusation at Ground Zero
At the 25th anniversary memorial in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2026, Terry Strada said Saudi Arabia had not adequately addressed allegations concerning its relationship with individuals linked to the attacks. Strada, the national chair of 9/11 Families United, accused the kingdom of fostering anti-American terrorism and supporting radical Islamist hijackers.
She said U.S. political leaders had repeatedly failed the families during the 25 years since the attacks. Her criticism focused on what she described as a continuing decision by successive administrations to protect Saudi Arabia instead of pursuing accountability for the nearly 3,000 people killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard the hijacked aircraft.
“But for 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families,” Strada said.
A direct appeal to Vice President Vance
Strada addressed JD Vance, the most senior Trump administration official attending the Ground Zero ceremony. Donald Trump spoke separately at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while Vance was present in the audience in New York.
Strada asked Vance to carry the families’ demand for accountability back to the president. She called on Saudi Arabia to stop denying the allegations and said any effort by the kingdom to maintain close relations with the United States should include greater transparency about the issues raised by the lawsuit.
“Vice President Vance, thank you for being here today. Please carry that message back. Stand with the families. Stand with the survivors. Stand with Americans,” Strada said.
Tom Strada’s death in the North Tower
Tom Strada, 41, was working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower when it was struck by American Airlines Flight 11. He called his wife after the impact and said he was heading toward the stairwell.
The couple had brought their third child home from the hospital only days before the attacks. Tom Strada was among the victims whose deaths led Terry Strada to become an advocate for greater transparency and accountability concerning the events of Sept. 11.
The lawsuit and allegations against Saudi Arabia
Thousands of 9/11 family members and survivors sued Saudi Arabia, alleging that the kingdom provided material support to the al Qaeda hijackers. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied the allegations. The case remains pending in federal court.
In August 2025, U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels ruled that there was reasonable evidence that two Saudi government employees supported two future al Qaeda hijackers who arrived in the United States in early 2000 and took flight lessons. Daniels rejected Saudi Arabia’s effort to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed.
JASTA’s role in enabling the case
For more than a decade after the attacks, sovereign immunity rules generally prevented victims’ families from suing a foreign government in U.S. courts. Congress changed that situation in September 2016 by passing the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA.
The law allows Americans to sue foreign governments accused of providing material support for terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Barack Obama vetoed the legislation, arguing that it could weaken immunity protections for foreign governments based solely on allegations by private litigants. Congress overrode the veto days later, and the Saudi Arabia lawsuit was filed in March 2017.
| Number | Key Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | Terry Strada criticized Saudi Arabia and successive U.S. administrations during the 25th anniversary ceremony. |
| 2 | She asked Vice President JD Vance to relay the families’ message to President Donald Trump. |
| 3 | A federal lawsuit alleging Saudi support for two future hijackers remains pending. |
| 4 | JASTA, enacted in 2016 over a presidential veto, made the lawsuit possible. |
Summary
The 25th anniversary ceremony renewed public attention on the unresolved legal and political dispute between 9/11 families and Saudi Arabia. Terry Strada used the event to press U.S. leaders for accountability, while the federal case continues under a law that removed key barriers to lawsuits against foreign governments accused of supporting terrorism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Terry Strada?
Terry Strada is the widow of Tom Strada, who died in the North Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. She is also the national chair of 9/11 Families United.
What did Strada ask Vice President JD Vance to do?
She asked Vance to take the families’ call for accountability to President Donald Trump and to urge Saudi Arabia to address the allegations.
What is the status of the lawsuit against Saudi Arabia?
The case remains pending in federal court after Judge George B. Daniels allowed it to proceed based on evidence involving two Saudi government employees.
What is JASTA?
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act is a 2016 law allowing Americans to sue foreign governments accused of materially supporting terrorist attacks in the United States.
