At Met Opera, life after a school shooting takes center stage

Meta on Wednesday released an artificial intelligence model, Muse Spark, it touts as smarter and faster than what it offered before shaking up its Superintelligence Labs unit.

"Over the last nine months, Meta Superintelligence Labs rebuilt our AI stack from the ground up," the tech titan said in a blog post.

Muse Spark succeeds Llama 4, released by the Silicon Valley-based firm a year ago, and will power Meta's AI app and smart glasses along with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger features.

For now, Muse Spark is only available in the United States.

The new AI model was described as being small and fast by design, capable of reasoning through complex questions in science, math and health.

It is the first in a new Muse series, with the next generation already in development. 

Llama 4 lagged in the fierce AI race as heavyweight rivals from China, France, and the United States produced improved models at a rapid-fire pace.

That prompted Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to overhaul its AI team, which saw the departure of its research boss Yann LeCun.

LeCun spent 12 years leading the AI lab at Meta, where Zuckerberg has made the quest for "superintelligence" a priority.

Zuckerberg embarked on a major recruitment campaign last year to acquire talent for the Meta's efforts, poaching Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang and putting him in charge of a newly formed unit called Superintelligence Labs.

Zuckerberg subsequently recruited executives from rivals OpenAI, Anthropic and Google - often personally and at heady costs.

In doing so, the tech tycoon broke with the company's previous approach of prioritizing development of free, open-access AI models such as Llama.

"The future of Meta AI is rooted in the relationships and context already at the center of your life," the company said.

"We are building toward personal superintelligence - an AI that does not just answer your questions but truly understands your world because it is built on it."

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While some Iranians in the capital Tehran fear the ceasefire with the United States will lead to nothing, others declared victory and most breathed a sigh of relief after weeks of war.

"Everyone is at ease now, we are more relaxed," Sakineh Mohammadi, a 50-year-old housewife, told AFP, saying she was "proud" of her country.

Just the day before, US President Donald Trump threatened to eradicate "a whole civilization" in Iran if its leaders did not heed his ultimatum to accept Washington's war demands. 

That was enough to cause a "nervous breakdown" for Simin, a 48-year-old English teacher, after more than a month of bombing.

"I couldn't feel my legs or arms anymore," she told AFP.

"We were terrified to our very core... The shock and psychological pressure were so intense that even now, we don't know whether to feel relieved by the truce or not."

That same evening, panicked residents of Tehran tried to flee north to the shores of the Caspian Sea, where many had sought refuge during the very first days of the war.

For those who stayed, the night was long and anxious.

Their eyes were glued to the latest developments on television until Trump announced the two-week truce, which came in the middle of the night for Iranians.

- 'We stood up' -

Since the truce was declared, the bombs have fallen silent in Tehran, and the Iranian capital now has the air of a public holiday.

Many shops were closed and outdoor cafes were packed in upscale neighbourhoods, as Tehran's legendary traffic jams vanished on Wednesday.

So did the checkpoints manned by armed men which had spread throughout the city in recent weeks, with only barriers and signs remaining on the roadside where they once stood.

The smell of burning hangs from a closed airport and buildings that have been destroyed or gutted.

On the facade of one building, giant portraits of the Islamic republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, and his successor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the war, overlook a field of ruins.

Despite thousands of people dead and widespread damage inflicted, Behrouz Ghahramani is "not afraid" of the American-Israeli enemy.

If the war resumes, "we will attack them again", he said.

"We were the ones who imposed this ceasefire on the United States by demonstrating our military power," the 67-year-old said, boasting of Iran's millennia-long history.

For those who hoped for a change of government, anxiety prevails.

What if the war ends and the Islamic republic remains "without any benefit for the people?" asked Armin, 35.

But for others like Mohammad Reza Hayatloo, who runs a currency exchange office, they are proud of their compatriots for forcing a ceasefire with Washington.

"We are heroes... We stood up to the world superpower," said the 53-year-old.

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US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday urged Iran not to let the fragile ceasefire deal fall apart over Israel's attacks on Lebanon, days before he is due to lead talks with Tehran in Pakistan.

As Iran's president said a truce in Lebanon was a key condition for ending the Middle East war, Vance said he believed there had been a "legitimate misunderstanding".

"I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise," Vance said as he left Hungary, where he was visiting to boost the reelection chances of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart... over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice."

A day after Washington and Tehran agreed a two-week truce, Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah joined the war in early March.

The strikes killed at least 112 people and wounded hundreds, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

But Vance said that the Israelis had offered to show restraint.

"The Israelis... have actually offered to be, frankly, to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon, because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful," Vance said.

The US vice president warned that President Donald Trump expected Iran to keep its promise to open the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic.

"Frankly, if they break their end of the bargain, then they're going to see some serious consequences," Vance added.

Vance is due to lead a negotiating team including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad for "in person" talks with Iran on Saturday, the White House said earlier.

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(The Center Square) – As congressional Republicans begin considering how to implement President Donald Trump’s budget request into next year’s government funding bills, fiscal responsibility groups are urging them to find more spending offsets.

Trump’s “skinny” budget blueprint for fiscal year 2027 asks for a total of $1.5 trillion for discretionary defense spending and $660 billion for non-defense discretionary spending, a $73 billion reduction from last year.

If mandatory spending were included – such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – the real price tag of the $2.1 trillion budget request rises to about $6.7 trillion. 

With the national debt currently over $39 trillion, the Cato Institute has joined the chorus of deficit watchdogs, telling lawmakers to reduce entitlement program spending by hundreds of billions in order to accommodate the defense budget boost.

“Because the administration doesn't suggest or even really discuss programs like Medicare and Social Security — it's basically throwing in the towel and saying ‘there's no chance that we're going to even try to balance the budget or achieve a modicum of fiscal sustainability, don't address those programs’ — it's just not possible to put the budget back on the right track,” Cato policy analyst Dominick Lett told The Center Square.

The federal deficit topped $1.7 trillion in fiscal year 2025 as federal revenues have not kept up with the roughly $7.68 billion the U.S. government spends per day. 

As of Oct. 2026, Social Security accounted for about 22% of federal spending, while Medicare accounted for 15%.

“It may seem innocuous in the moment that the president isn't discussing reforms for these programs. But every time Congress or the president kicks the can down the road, it's placing that burden onto the future,” Lett said.

“Maybe in a vacuum the administration would like to talk about some of these programs,” he added. “But of course during an election year, Congress is less likely to discuss reforms to Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid, in part because the necessary reforms for these programs are politically difficult.”

The longer politicians wait, however, the “more draconian, more significant, and potentially more economically damaging” future spending cuts or tax increases will need to be, Lett warned.

While the $73 billion in proposed spending cuts are “absolutely worth pursuing," Lett thinks – including returning more disaster responsibility to the states and privatizing TSA – Congress should aim for hundreds of billions more in offsets.

If Republicans cannot do this via the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process, they could do so via their next budget reconciliation bill. 

Since Republicans’ previous budget reconciliation bill – the “One Big Beautiful Bill” – exceeded its deficit target by $600 billion, Lett says that amount “would be a good starting point” for deficit reduction.

“If they include, let's say, $300 billion in new defense spending, then they need to include $900 billion in offsetting,” Lett suggested. “Congress could make a reconciliation bill fiscally responsible by, for example, including $2 of cuts to entitlement programs for every $1 in increased spending. That would reduce the deficit and be fiscally responsible.”

Besides the pressure of upcoming midterm elections, most members of Congress are generally already hesitant to impose large spending cuts. 

Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are “third rail” issues, and Republicans already received heat for the OBBB’s cost-cutting reforms to Medicaid. Many Republicans also automatically support funding boosts to national defense activities, no matter the associated deficit impacts.

However, if Republicans don’t use their narrow majority to enact real spending cuts now, they won’t have enough money for defense by 2036, Lett said.

“Given our fiscal situation, by 2036, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the national debt will consume 100% of federal revenues. So over the long run, things like defense will get squeezed out because of entitlement programs,” he explained. “So from the perspective of the defense hawks, whether they like it or not, defense will get squeezed eventually if you don't address entitlement.”

The House Budget Committee is scheduled to meet next week to consider the president’s budget request. The House Appropriations Committee will also meet multiple times next week to begin hearing federal agencies' budget requests for fiscal year 2027, despite Congress not having fully funded the government for fiscal year 2026 yet.

The FY2026 Homeland Security appropriations bill, which funds DHS, has not yet passed the Senate, triggering a shutdown nearly two months ago that is still ongoing.

Republicans' plan at the moment is to include portions of DHS funding that Democrats refuse to pass inside the next budget reconciliation bill.

The scale of the killing in Israeli strikes on Lebanon Wednesday is "horrific", the UN rights chief said, urging the international community to help end the unfolding "nightmare".

At least 112 people were killed and 837 more were wounded in Lebanon Wednesday after Israel launched a wave of strikes unprecedented in the current war, according to the latest Lebanese health ministry toll.

Volker Turk, the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned the attacks, saying the numbers killed and injured were appalling.

"The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific," he said in a statement.

"Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief. It places enormous pressure on a fragile peace, which is so desperately needed by civilians."

Mass casualties have been reported, and hospitals overwhelmed, the statement added.

A UN Human Rights team at the site of a strike in Beirut described a scene of devastation, with several dead bodies amid the rubble.

- 'Prompt investigations' -

International humanitarian law spells out clearly that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, said Turk.

"Each and every attack must comply with international humanitarian law fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions to protect civilians," he said.

"These principles are non-negotiable, and must always be respected, whatever the circumstances of armed conflict.

"There must be prompt and independent investigations into all alleged violations, and those responsible brought to justice."

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Turk also deplored Hezbollah's missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, and urged both parties to stop, immediately.

More than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon by the conflict, and Israel has launched a ground invasion in the south.

"The scale of such actions, coupled with statements by Israeli officials indicating an intention to occupy or even annex parts of southern Lebanon, are deeply troubling," said Turk.

"The international community must act quickly to help bring an end to this nightmare.

"Efforts to bring peace to the wider region will remain incomplete as long as the Lebanese people are living under continuing fire, forcibly displaced, and in fear of further attacks."

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(The Center Square) – The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group are closely watching the tentative truce between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East, but warned of economic fallout, especially for food prices.

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank warnings show the conflict has a global impact. Energy and food prices are rising. Economies, especially import-dependent ones, are strained. As leaders try to control the crisis, ordinary people and businesses face higher costs and uncertainty.

Leaders of the IMF, the World Bank Group and the World Food Program issued a joint statement on Wednesday saying they are ready to help.

Leaders from the three organizations met on Wednesday to talk about how the conflict could affect the global economy and food security.

"The Middle East war is upending lives and livelihoods in the region and beyond. It has already triggered one of the largest disruptions to global energy markets in modern history," the statement said. "Sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertilizer prices, together with transport bottlenecks, will inevitably lead to rising food prices and food insecurity."

The groups said these consequences will fall "heavily on the world's most vulnerable populations, particularly in low‑income, import‑dependent economies."

"Spikes in fuel prices and potential sharp increases in food prices are especially concerning where fiscal space is constrained and debt burdens are already high, reducing governments' ability to protect vulnerable households," the joint statement said.

"Our institutions will continue to monitor developments closely and coordinate the use of all available tools to support those impacted by the crisis," the groups said.

Prior to the two-week ceasefire agreed to late Tuesday, Trump had been threatening to destroy all of Iran. The ceasefire deal requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway that carries about 20% of the world's oil and natural gas.

Since the conflict began at the end of February, U.S. gas prices have climbed about $1 per gallon. The national average has recently reached $4 per gallon.

The ongoing conflict with Iran has pushed oil prices to record highs. If it continues, experts warn that economic strain will grow, further affecting U.S. taxpayers.

U.S. military operations, ongoing since late February, are costing an estimated $1 billion per day. Analysts have noted that if the conflict continues for an extended period, it could drive a significant increase in defense spending and further impact the federal budget.

The Department of War may ask Congress for an additional $200 billion for Iran operations. It has not yet provided exact figures for a supplemental request.

Last week, Trump unveiled a 2027 budget proposing a 44% increase in military spending to bolster the nation’s fighting forces. That would bring the U.S. defense budget to $1.5 trillion, if approved by Congress.

On Febr. 28, after nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic failed to produce a deal, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

A British-American dealer dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" who sold the drugs that killed "Friends" star Matthew Perry, and boasted she supplied an elite circle of Hollywood VIPs, was jailed for 15 years on Wednesday.

Jasveen Sangha, 42, was one of five people charged over the death of the beloved Canadian-American actor, who was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his luxury Los Angeles home in 2023.

Sangha, a dual citizen of the United States and Britain, ran a drugs emporium from her swanky apartment in Los Angeles, from where she dished out narcotics to wealthy customers in America's entertainment capital.

"To cultivate her business, (Sangha) marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele," prosecutors wrote in sentencing papers. 

"As she told one customer in 2020, 'I'm really select with people,' and 'it's a very VIP circle of celebs.'"

Sangha worked with a middleman, Erik Fleming, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to Perry's live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.

Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that she had supplied, including on October 28, 2023, when he administered at least three shots of Sangha's drugs, which killed the actor.

When Sangha heard news reports about Perry's sudden death, she tried to cover her tracks.

"Delete all our messages," she instructed Fleming.

Sangha's actions "show a cold callousness and disregard for life. She chose profits over people, and her actions have caused immense pain to the victims' families and loved ones," prosecutors wrote.

Investigators who raided Sangha's home in the aftermath of Perry's death found methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and counterfeit Xanax pills, as well as a money counting machine, a scale, and devices to detect wireless signals and hidden cameras.

- Doctors -

Perry, 54, had openly struggled for decades with addictions, but had appeared to colleagues to be beating his demons when he died.

His death set off waves of grief among generations of "Friends" fans and sparked a police probe that uncovered a ring of suppliers and enablers, including medical doctors who were callously profiting from the pain of a man they should have been helping.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who admitted four counts of distribution of ketamine in the weeks before Perry's death, was ordered to serve 30 months in jail when he was sentenced last year.

Another doctor, Mark Chavez, was ordered to be confined at home and told to do hundreds of hours of community service.

Plasencia bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to Perry at hugely inflated prices.

"I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia wrote in one text message.

Prosecutors said addict Perry was paying over $2,000 per vial of ketamine; his dealers paid a fraction of that.

Iwamasa and Fleming are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

Sangha admitted one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

Her plea acknowledged that she also sold four vials of ketamine to another man, 33-year-old Cody McLaury, in August 2019.

McLaury died hours later from an overdose.

- 'Mostly sober' -

Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression.

But prosecutors say that before his death, he became addicted to the substance, which is used as an anesthetic, but also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug.

"Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.

Perry's role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.

In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries.

In his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry described going through detox dozens of times.

"I have mostly been sober since 2001," he wrote, "save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps."

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(The Center Square) – The 2026 midterm elections are just under seven months away and the races for the U.S. House are beginning to heat up.

With control of the chamber on the line, a national ratings outlet says Pennsylvania has the most “Toss Up” races in November.

The Cook Political Report’s most recent ratings update on Tuesday shifted GOP U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s bid for reelection in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District from the “Lean Republican” category to the “Toss Up” column. 

“Freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s stock trades have dogged him all cycle, giving Democrats a potent line of attack in a district that has been trending Republicans’ way but is very much in play this cycle,” the Cook Political Report writes.

Bresnahan was elected to Congress in 2024 to represent the seat in northeast Pennsylvania after defeating Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright by roughly 1.6 points.

Although the primary election is still just one month away, it appears that the general election showdown is set for the contested district. 

Bresnahan and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, are the only candidates who have filed to run for the seat in 2026.  

In addition to Bresnahan’s bid for a second term being labeled a “Toss Up,” the Cook Political Report has rated the reelection races for U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-7th District, and Scott Perry, R-10th District, in the same category. 

“Pennsylvania’s 7th District, nestled in the Lehigh Valley, is a rare true swing seat,” writes the Cook Political Report. “Donald Trump won the district by three points in 2016, lost it by less than a point in 2020, and then won it again by three points last year.”

Like Bresnahan, Mackenzie also flipped a blue seat red in 2024 after defeating Democrat incumbent U.S. Rep. Susan Wild by 1 point. Mackenzie’s roughly 4,000-vote victory was the closest Congressional contest in Pennsylvania’s last cycle. 

While Mackenzie is the only Republican to file for the seat, four Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination to face him. 

Perry, who is seeking an eighth term in Congress, bested Democrat Janelle Stelson by 1.2 points in 2024. His previous race was his closest election since being elected to Congress. 

A rematch may be in the cards for the 10th Congressional District. 

Stelson, a former central Pennsylvania television anchor, is running for the seat again and will face Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas for their party’s nomination.

Perry is the only Republican to file for the seat.

“Stelson is now waging a rematch against Perry, and both parties view the congressman as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans in the country,” according to a race summary by the Cook Political Report. 

Republicans currently hold a slim majority over Democrats in the U.S. House, putting these races in battleground districts in Pennsylvania in the spotlight in November.

(The Center Square) – A proposed expansion of the Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas export facility in Louisiana could threaten the federally protected eastern black rail, a marsh bird, according to new environmental analysis done by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass LNG Stage 5 expansion project in Cameron Parish is "likely to adversely affect" the eastern black rail, a secretive, sparrow-sized bird, the federal energy regulator ruled in a draft environmental impact statement released in early April.

The commission’s draft environmental review includes habitat mitigation measures that place the Sabine Pass expansion project on track for a permit.

Three other proposed or existing export facilities on the Louisiana coast – Commonwealth LNG and Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG and Calcasieu Pass 2 LNG – have faced legal challenges centered on their impacts on the eastern black rail and the bird’s sensitive marsh habitat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the population of the eastern black rail has declined in the eastern United States by 75% in the last 10 to 20 years.

In October 2020, the service officially listed the eastern black rail as threatened but declined to designate critical habitat, saying publicizing the bird’s location would invite disturbance from overzealous birders.

Following a legal challenge by the Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf, a federal court ruled in July that the service’s refusal to designate specific habitat for the marsh bird was unlawful.

“Habitat loss is driving the eastern black rail to the brink of extinction and this decision recognizes that the Fish and Wildlife Service can’t ignore that reality,” said Kristine Akland, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, after the ruling. “Protecting wetlands is essential if this secretive little bird is going to have a fighting chance to survive rising seas and relentless development.”

The federal court ordered the service to reconsider, finding it had failed to properly analyze how a formal habitat designation would benefit the species' survival – specifically when weighed against the dual threats of industrial development and rising sea levels.

About one month later, the service released the Eastern Black Rail Draft Recovery Plan, which provides an outline for saving the species over a 60-year period at a projected cost to taxpayers of approximately $420 million.

Cheniere’s Stage 5 expansion would add three liquefaction units, or “trains” – numbers seven, eight and nine – at the Sabine Pass export facility, according to an amended application filed with federal regulators in June. The three trains would potentially increase peak production at the plant by approximately 20 million metric tons of LNG annually, according to an Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

The federal energy regulator concluded that while most environmental impacts would be temporary or short-term during construction, the project would cause some permanent effects on wetlands, forested lands, and air quality.

To mitigate these impacts and protect species like the eastern black rail, federal regulators are requiring Cheniere to implement a suite of oversight plans that include “strict” controls for erosion and spill prevention, specialized wetland construction procedures, and a horizontal directional drilling plan designed to minimize surface disturbance. During construction, Cheniere must also follow protocols for weed control, traffic management, and ongoing community engagement, the commission said in a statement announcing the ruling.

The Center Square was unsuccessful prior to publication getting comment from Healthy Gulf.

Donald Trump claimed "total" victory after a ceasefire with Iran. But critics say the deal is a fresh example of their maxim that the tough-talking US president always "chickens out."

In the space of 12 nerve-wracking hours, Trump went from warning that a "whole civilization will die" to hailing that agreement as a big day for world peace.

The reality on the ground however showed a still shaky two-week ceasefire with a host of unanswered questions -- not least about whether Trump had ever intended to follow through on his apocalyptic threats.

"President Trump is proving to be an increasingly unpredictable force and unreliable ally,"  Peter Loge, director of George Washington University's School of Media, told AFP.

The former businessman and author of "Art of the Deal" has a long favored a negotiating style that relies on maximum leverage in order to extract more whoever is on the other side of the table.

Trump insisted his approach, which included a vow to bomb Iran back to the "stone age" by targeting civilian energy plants and bridges, had served its purpose.

"Total and complete victory," the president told AFP in a brief telephone interview after Monday's announcement. "100 percent. No question about it."

The White House also insisted that everything had gone according to plan, saying that Trump had always planned for Operation Epic Fury to last between four and six weeks. 

"The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters 

But critics say that Trump has employed the same tactic on everything from tariffs to wars to his threats to annex Greenland, especially as markets start to react unfavorably.

The phenomenon now has its own acronym, which originally began with traders: TACO, or "Trump Always Chickens Out."

- 'Military moron' -

Loge -- who predicted on Tuesday morning that Trump would take a self-declared win on Iran then give "give them two more weeks" -- added: "The only consistent thing President Trump does is declare victory."

The time period of two weeks is also familiar to Trump-watchers who have seen him evoke the interval in a series of previous crises.

Critics led by rival Democrats lashed out at the Republican president, who has flexed his executive muscle in the face of a largely pliant and currently absent Congress.

"Trump is a military moron," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he announced the Senate would vote next week on a war powers resolution.

Trump's opponents say the war has left Iran effectively in control of the Strait of Hormuz, with a stranglehold over world energy prices. There's also little evidence he has done more to prevent Iran getting a nuclear bomb, given that the Iranians still possess their store of highly enriched uranium.

And Trump's Republicans are nervous that the Middle East war will hit them in November's midterm elections for control of Congress, given that American families are already finding it harder to pay the bills.

"All of this happens when one man…has unchecked power to wage war," added Schumer. 

The criticism grew as the ceasefire appeared to be increasingly fragile, with Iran threatening to torpedo it if Israel did not stop attacks on Lebanon.

"Trump, 'the peace President', should have never started this war alongside Israel, who clearly doesn’t want peace," former ally and congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Thursday.

Nevertheless, Trump loyalists praised the deal.

"It looks like Trump ultimately hits the home run here, takes it to the brink. Iran blinks," said Fox News host and ally Laura Ingraham on her show after the announcement of the deal.

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