The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan brushed off any threat of backlash from neighboring powers Iran and Russia following a U.S.-brokered peace accord – an agreement hailed as the start of a new era, ending more than three decades of war and hostility in the South Caucasus.

In exclusive Fox News Digital interviews, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev both praised President Donald Trump and his envoy for their role in brokering the framework agreement. They emphasized that the deal, which promised increased regional economic integration and political cooperation, is not directed at any third party – and may actually provide strategic advantages to Moscow and Tehran.

‘This is not a zero-sum game,’ Pashinyan said. The agreement ‘contains quite tangible benefits for Iran and for Russia as well.’

‘Iran would have access through railway from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea and Russia and Iran will have opportunity to have a railway connection between the two countries.’

Russia – a long-standing ally of Armenia and a presence in the region through its border guards – welcomed peace but sent a warning about U.S. involvement. Its foreign ministry described the accord as ‘positive,’ expressing hope for stability in the Caucasus, but warned that foreign involvement should complement, not complicate, the peace process. 

The ministry emphasized that regional solutions should include neighbors like Russia, Iran and Turkey, and cautioned against repeating the pitfalls of Western-led interventions in the Middle East.

Aliyev echoed Pashinyan’s remarks and declined to see U.S. diplomatic involvement as a provocation toward Moscow. 

‘It will be very difficult for any country – whether far away or in our region – to say something bad about today’s agreement,’ he told Fox News Digital.’We’ve taken the final step toward peace.’ 

He added: ‘It’s not against anyone. It’s a connectivity project which will be one of the most important parts of international transportation.’

At the heart of the pact is the planned Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) – a roughly 27-mile transit route linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, passing through Armenian territory. Armenia has granted the U.S. exclusive development rights via a 99‑year lease, allowing for infrastructure projects such as roads, rail lines, pipelines, fiber optics and possibly power transmission, aimed at opening new trade and transit paths in the region.

This bold move shifts regional dynamics, offering Washington a powerful strategic foothold while bypassing traditional Russian and Iranian routes.

Iran, in contrast, has responded with hostility. 

Ali Akbar Velayati, a key advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, warned of serious consequences if the ‘Zangezur Corridor’ – as Iran calls the route – is enacted, asserting that it ‘will not become a passage owned by Trump, but rather a graveyard for Trump’s mercenaries,’ according to the semi-official news agency Tasnim.

Iran has even signaled readiness to use military means to block the route. 

Domestically, Pashinyan faces opposition. Armenian nationalists, already fierce critics of any deal with Azerbaijan, view the agreement as a betrayal. The Republican Party of Armenia has declared that Pashinyan lacks the mandate to sign such a treaty, demanding full transparency and an end to concessions made under external pressure.

Pashinyan, however, is undeterred. He said the accord could transform Armenia’s investment climate and attract foreign capital. 

‘We expect to have some criticism, and that’s part of democracy,’ he told Fox News Digital. ‘But we are confident we made the right decision.’ 

Once the dominant power in the South Caucasus, Russia is losing its grip. The war in Ukraine, mounting sanctions and resource strains have depleted its regional influence, enabling the U.S., Turkey and the European Union to expand their diplomatic reach.

Relations with Azerbaijan particularly soured following the December 2024 downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. Aliyev accused Moscow of accidentally shooting the passenger jet with Russian air defenses during operations against Ukrainian drones, killing 38 people. 

Aliyev told Fox News Digital he didn’t believe the incident was an intentional attack by Russian leadership, but demanded a formal admission of guilt, punishment for those responsible and full compensation – moves Russia has resisted, apologizing only vaguely for what they called a’tragic incident.’

And amid political divisions, Pashinyan finds himself in a conflict with one of the country’s most respected institutions  – the Armenian Apostolic Church, where figures like Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan have led public protests against Pashinyan’s decision to return border villages to Azerbaijan.

On June 25, authorities arrested Galstanyan, a leading figure in the church and of the ‘Sacred Struggle’ opposition movement, accusing him of orchestrating a terrorist plot to overthrow the government. Armenia’s Investigative Committee alleged he had recruited more than 1,000 former police and military personnel to stage bombings, disrupt power grids and paralyze transportation networks. 

Pashinyan assured that the judiciary system acted independently of his government and ‘in full accordance with the law of Armenia, respecting all the rights of all people.’

Smithsonian museums must represent the U.S. in a ‘fair’ manner and portray both the good and the bad of American history, according to President Donald Trump. 

Trump made his comments after the White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian Tuesday unveiling plans to conduct a review of its museums and exhibits in preparation for the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026.

‘We want the museums to treat our country fairly,’ Trump told reporters Thursday. ‘We want their museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or in a racist manner, which is what many of them, not all of them, but many of them are doing.’ 

‘Our museums have an obligation to represent what happened in our country over the years. Good and bad,’ Trump said. ‘But what happened over the years in an accurate way.’ 

The Smithsonian told Fox News Digital it was reviewing the Trump administration’s letter and would work with the White House, Congress and its governing Board of Regents moving forward. 

‘The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research and the accurate, factual presentation of history,’ the Smithsonian said in a statement. 

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, weighed in on the matter earlier Thursday, saying left-wing activists had ‘obscenely defaced’ the museum. 

‘The Smithsonian is supposed to be a global symbol of American strength, culture and prestige,’ Miller posted to X Thursday. ‘A place for families and children to celebrate American history and greatness. Instead, the exhibits have clearly been taken over by leftwing activists who have used the Smithsonian as yet one platform to endlessly bash America and rewrite / erase our magnificent story.

‘These activists have obscenely defaced this beloved institution,’ Miller added. ‘The Trump Administration will proudly and diligently restore the patriotic glory of America and ensure the Smithsonian is a place that once more inspires love and devotion to this nation, especially among our youngest citizens.’

The White House’s initial letter to the Smithsonian Tuesday said the review would evaluate social media, exhibition text and educational materials. This would be done to ‘assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals,’ the letter said. 

‘This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,’ the letter said.

The review will focus on the following museums: the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Trump has taken previous steps to alter what content is shown in the Smithsonian museums and signed an executive order in March that placed Vice President JD Vance in charge of overseeing the removal of programs or exhibits that ‘degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.’ 

Vance has already moved to shake things up at the Smithsonian. 

Artist Amy Sherald canceled an exhibit scheduled to arrive at the Smithsonian in September that included a portrait of a transgender Statue of Liberty at the National Portrait Gallery after Vance claimed the show featured woke and divisive content, Fox News Digital first reported. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump has pledged to protect and preserve Social Security, and I am honored to lead the agency as Commissioner at such a pivotal moment. My vision is straightforward: a Social Security Administration that is easier to access, faster to respond, and better prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. That vision is rooted in our commitment to public service and grounded in the belief that government can and should work for everyone.

Since taking office, I have focused on modernizing operations; investing in our workforce; eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse; and improving how we serve the public, whether online, over the phone, or in person. 

Social Security is not a program of the past; it is a promise to future generations. 

We have expanded our digital tools to provide more services from the convenience of people’s homes. We have taken steps to reduce wait times, enhance security, and make it easier to navigate our programs. All the while ensuring we pay benefits accurately to those who are eligible to receive them.

We have also added support and removed roadblocks for our frontline employees with updated tools, technology, and processes, so they can deliver efficient, accurate, and compassionate service to the American people every day.

In my first 100 days as Commissioner, SSA has made significant progress, improving customer experience: reducing the average wait time on the national 800 number from 30 minutes last year to single digits last month; implementing new phone systems to enable 90% of calls to be handled via self-service or convenient callbacks; shortening field office wait times by 30%; eliminating 29 hours of weekly downtime for my Social Security to allow 24/7 online management of benefits; decreasing Disability hearing wait times by 60 days, reaching historic lows; and, sending over 3.1 million payments totaling $17 billion to eligible beneficiaries five months ahead of schedule under the Social Security Fairness Act.

We have a clear path to achieving operational excellence and providing best-in-class service. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have charted a new course that strengthens service delivery and secures the integrity and efficiency of our systems. We are modernizing the underlying infrastructure that supports our work so that the agency is not only keeping up with the pace of change but leading the way in service innovation.

As we celebrate this 90th anniversary, we must also keep our eyes firmly on the future. Social Security is not a program of the past; it is a promise to future generations. 

Young Americans entering the workforce today deserve the same sense of security their parents and grandparents had. Maintaining that trust will require thoughtful innovation and a shared commitment to protecting the integrity and solvency of the program.

As we look to the century ahead, President Trump remains committed to ensuring that Social Security is as strong, effective, and enduring for our children and grandchildren as it has been for the generations before them.

The Trump administration is announcing the launch of a new tool it says will be instrumental in enabling agencies across the federal government to efficiently implement artificial intelligence at scale and take a major step forward rolling out the president’s ‘AI Action Plan.’

Trump’s U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) said on Thursday it has launched USAi, a tool the agency describes as a ‘secure generative artificial intelligence evaluation suite that enables federal agencies to experiment with and adopt artificial intelligence at scale—faster, safer, and at no cost to them.’

The agency says that the platform, available starting Thursday at 10 a.m. through USAi.gov, gives government users access to ‘powerful’ tools like chat-based AI, code generation and document summarization with the goal of ‘supercharging employee productivity.’

‘USAi isn’t just another tool, it’s infrastructure for America’s AI future,’ GSA Chief Information Officer David Shive explained. ‘USAi helps the government cut costs, improve efficiency, and deliver better services to the public, while maintaining the trust and security the American people expect.’

GSA Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian told Fox News Digital that this latest application is an ‘on ramp’ to A.I. that will be the ‘tip of the spear’ on the A.I. front similar to the way GSA previously implemented the cloud. 

The Trump administration rolled out its A.I. Action Plan in July after Trump ordered the federal government in January to develop a plan of action for artificial intelligence in order to ‘solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.’ 

Trump has made U.S. A.I. growth a cornerstone of his administration, such as notching multi-billion deals with high-tech firms such as Oracle and OpenAI for the Stargate project, which is an effort to launch large data centers in the U.S, as well as a $90 billion energy and tech investment deal specifically for the state of Pennsylvania to make it the U.S. hub for AI. 

‘USAi means more than access—it’s about delivering a competitive advantage to the American people,’ GSA Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian said in press release.

‘The launch of USAi shows how GSA is translating President Trump’s AI strategy into action and accelerating AI adoption across government. USAi will put mission-ready tools directly into the hands of agencies to modernize faster, boost security, and lead globally.’

The A.I. Action Plan includes a three-pillar approach focused on American workers, free speech and protecting U.S.-built technologies. 

‘We want to center America’s workers, and make sure they benefit from AI,’ A.I. and crypto czar David Sacks told the media in July when details of the A.I. plan were made public. 

‘The second is that we believe that AI systems should be free of ideological bias and not be designed to pursue socially engineered agendas,’ Sacks said. ‘And so we have a number of proposals there on how to make sure that AI remains truth-seeking and trustworthy. And then the third principle that cuts across the pillars is that we believe we have to prevent our advanced technologies from being misused or stolen by malicious actors. And we also have to monitor for emerging and unforeseen risks from AI.’

Advancing the federal government’s use of A.I. and expanding employee access are core to the GSA’s efforts to fulfill Trump’s directive to preserve U.S. leadership in the global technology race, GSA Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum explained to Fox Digital in an interview earlier this month. 

‘As we kind of examined the President’s AI action plan, heard the call to action of, ‘Hey, this is a race, and we are going to win this race.’ From our perspective, all that meant, synonymously, was widespread adoption,’ he told Fox Digital of delivering AI to federal employees. 

The rollout of the USAi tool follows GSA announcing earlier in August that OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise is now available to all federal agencies to incorporate into their workflow at $1 per agency. The deal with OpenAI, the tech company behind ChatGPT, is part of GSA’s OneGov Strategy that aims to modernize ‘how the federal government purchases goods and services’ under the Trump administration. 

GSA also notched another deal with A.I. company Anthropic this month providing all three branches of government access to large language model Claude. 

Gruenbaum told Fox News Digital that Thursday’s announcement will be critical for agencies for creating efficiencies to help turn the federal workforce into ‘the most nimble, smart, efficient, agile, and agentically tech-forward workforce out there so that this country can continue to compete and win the AI race.’