President Donald Trump won't attend the signing of his own Iran peace deal — the White House has a UFC fight scheduled for the same weekend.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump announced he had canceled planned strikes against Iran after negotiations reached the "highest level of Iranian leadership." The deal, he said on Truth Social, has been approved by the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt "and others," with a naval blockade remaining in place until the agreement is finalized. The time and place of the signing, he added, were yet to be announced.
In the Oval Office, Trump filled in one logistical detail: he won't be there.
"'The Strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe. I won't be able to be there, but JD will be there — Vice President — and some of the people. Steve Witkoff did a great job, Jared," Trump told reporters.
Vice President JD Vance and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will attend the signing in his place.
UFC Freedom 250 is scheduled for Sunday, June 14 — on the South Lawn of the White House. In March, Trump left no ambiguity about his plans for that evening.
"'I will,'" Trump told boxer Jake Paul when asked if he'd attend the fight. "'It's going to be amazing at the White House. And Dana [White] is a great guy…'"
June 14 is also Trump's 80th birthday.
To host the seven-fight card — headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champ Justin Gaethje — the UFC erected a massive structure on the South Lawn known as "The Claw."
The 92-foot-tall lighting grid, built by a Belgian firm, was shipped to Philadelphia, tested, then trucked to Washington. ESPN and Time report the UFC is covering roughly $60 million in costs — including $700,000 to re-sod the South Lawn. The structure dwarfs the White House. Trump's Marine One has been grounded for the duration of the build.
The day after the fight, Trump is expected at the G7 Summit in France — which may explain why the Iran signing, if it happens "over the weekend in Europe," is being handed to Vance.
Two Virginia residents have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to halt the UFC event, alleging improper permitting and a violation of the law requiring congressional approval before structures are erected on public land in Washington. The Justice Department fired back in a filing, calling the plaintiffs "two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else."
No hearing has been scheduled.