US President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday last night by announcing a preliminary agreement to end the Iran war and organizing a martial arts spectacle on the White House lawn.
Trump has been announcing for weeks that he will reach an agreement with Iran, and the ongoing conflict threatened to cast a shadow over his planned "ultimate fight" (UFC) spectacle - extreme mixed martial arts fighting inside a large custom-made cage.
However, before the fighting began, the US president announced that the agreement to end the conflict was now complete. He declared that the US would end its blockade of Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened. The crucial details of the agreement are to be negotiated in the coming weeks.
Top state officials and Republican leaders attended last night's fights, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Trump and UFC boss Dana White walked together from the Oval Office to the balcony of the White House's Blue Room to view the cage set up for the fights, and stood as the national anthem was played and jets flew overhead.
Thousands of spectators were in a temporary arena under a metal arch equipped with lights, sound equipment and large screens. Many people watched the event from the nearby Ellipse.
Trump even made the White House part of the show, with fighters coming out of its premises onto the battlefield, and some even from the Oval Office.
During one of the breaks, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approached Trump and spoke briefly with him.
Trump sought to tie last night's event to larger celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Leaders of the G7 summit of industrialized nations have postponed their summit so that Trump can attend the celebration, in addition to a martial arts match, and then fly to a meeting in Europe. The G7 meeting begins today in France.
The entire event was very different from when Trump's predecessor Joe Biden celebrated his birthday in November 2022.
Biden celebrated his birthday at a private family lunch at the White House, showing how much things have changed, writes the AP.
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