In one of the messages sent on Monday, Rouhani congratulated Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and its nation on the 29th anniversary of the central Asian country’s independence.

He also expressed hope that Tehran-Bishkek relations would continue to expand in all areas given their historical and cultural commonalities.

Calling for the removal of obstacles to the promotion of bilateral relations, Rouhani wished Kyrgyzstan prosperity and success.

August 31, 1991 is the day when Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union. The Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz Republic later adopted a Declaration of Independence of Kyrgyzstan.

In a separate message to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong, Rouhani congratulated the people and government of Vietnam on the anniversary of the Southeast Asian country’s Independence Day.

The president also hoped for the expansion of cooperation between the two nations in various fields in light of their age-old friendship and the high-ranking officials’ determination.

Vietnam’s National Day commemorates the Vietnam Declaration of Independence from France on September 2, 1945.

Japan occupied Vietnam during World War II but allowed the French to remain and exert some influence. At the war’s end in August 1945, a power vacuum was created in Vietnam.

Capitalizing on this, the Viet Minh launched the “August Revolution” across the country to seize government offices.

Popular beaches on both coasts – normally packed on July 4th – were closed as California and Florida suffer alarming surges in COVID-19 infections, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned citizens to “assume everyone around you is infectious.”

Across the country, Main Street parades have been canceled, backyard barbecues scaled down, and family reunions put off on a day when Americans typically celebrate their 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.

But others, weary of lockdowns or simply defiant, carried on as if the deadly pandemic were a thing of the past.

Florida on Saturday marked a new daily high in confirmed virus cases at 11,458 – far more than any other state. Miami Beach imposed a curfew and made mask-wearing mandatory in public, yet some Florida beaches remained open.

The beach at New York’s Coney Island was also open and crowded, with few wearing masks.

Mark Ruiz came with his wife and two children, despite being “definitely worried” about the virus.

“I just can’t stay home on the Fourth of July, I got to take my kids out,” he told AFP. “We can’t be in a bubble all summer.”

Coney Island also hosted a special socially distanced version of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest – won for the 13th year in a row by Joey Chestnut, who set a new world record downing 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Health officials have been bracing for a new spike in virus cases after this weekend, which they see as a potential tipping point for more infections.

The US virus death toll is fast approaching 130,000, roughly one-quarter the world’s total.

Fireworks displays are typically a high point of the holiday, but an estimated 80 percent of the events have been canceled this year.

Local officials in Washington have discouraged massing on the National Mall for the capital’s fireworks display.

People were out even so, with some saying they were compelled to be there at a moment when the US is both grappling with the virus and undergoing a historic reckoning on racism.

“It’s time for us to stop bragging that we are super special, that the world should follow, we need to look inside to see what’s wrong with us. We never honestly asked ourselves about race in this country, “54-year-old Mary Byrne told AFP.

Trump planned to take in Saturday’s “Salute to America” in Washington, complete with military music and flyovers, from a White House balcony.

He and his wife, Melania, released a video message wishing Americans “a very, very happy Fourth of July.”

The US president was optimistic about the virus. “We got hit with this terrible plague from China,” he said, “and now we are getting close to fighting our way out of it.”

Trump’s address at the Washington festivities will pay tribute to health care workers, police, and the military, White House spokesman Judd Deere said.

Social distancing would be observed, he added.

The previous evening Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore, where he upended the tradition of presidents giving inspiring and unifying speeches on July 4th by lashing out at protests that have erupted since unarmed African American George Floyd was killed by police.

Facing a tough re-election battle in November and eager to mobilize his political base, Trump denounced “violent mayhem” on US streets, though most demonstrations have been peaceful.

His presidential challenger, Democrat Joe Biden, struck a sharply different tone, tweeting Saturday: “Our nation was founded on a simple idea: We’re all created equal. We’ve never lived up to it – but we’ve never stopped trying. This Independence Day, let’s not just celebrate those words, let’s commit to finally fulfill them.”

Protests have continued in many US cities since Floyd’s killing in May, and more than a score were taking place Saturday in Washington.

In a message released on Sunday to his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, President Rouhani felicitated the 26th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence and hailed the growing relations between Tehran and Astana.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards Kazakhstan as a reliable neighbor and partner for consultation and cooperation in line with efforts to consolidate regional stability and security as well as the Islamic solidarity,” he said in the congratulatory message.

Rouhani also wished health and success for Nazarbayev and glory for the Kazakh people and government.

In recent years, Teheran and Astana have shown eagerness to expand bilateral relations in various fields.

Kazakhstan’s Day of Independence is celebrated annually on 16 December.

Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The current President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been leader of the country since then.