NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, June 23, 2025

Episode Date: June 24, 2025

Trump: Iran and Israel agree to ceasefire; Trump says no Americans injured in Iran’s attack on base housing U.S. troops; Insurance companies announce changes to prior authorization process; and more on tonight’s broadcast. NBC News has removed video from a previous version of this story out of concerns about its authenticity.

This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamaas. And good evening. Tonight we start with breaking news as we come on the air. President Trump calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to be phased in over the next 24 hours. This comes as Iran hits back, launching retaliatory strikes at a major base in Qatar, housing about 10,000 US personnel.

Iran responding with short and medium-range missiles targeting Al-Udeid air base. Thankfully, there were no known injuries or casualties. The move a response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities, you can see here the impact from those B-2 bombers. U.S. bases in the region tonight on on alert closing airspace not just in Qatar but in Bahrain and Iraq. Israel launching more strikes within Iran today. Iran continuing their campaign against Israel. You can see here an explosion at a power station in Ashtad. President Trump weighing in calling Iran's response quote very weak. We've got full team coverage starting in Tel Aviv with Richard

Angle and Richard, I want to get right to that breaking news. What more do we know about President Trump's call for a ceasefire? Well Tom, it was less of a call as a and more of a unilateral announcement. He said that the Israel and Iran have completely agreed to a ceasefire, that it will begin over the course of the next several hours and that within 24 hours, it will be over, that it will mark the end of what he described as the 12-day war.

We have heard nothing from Israel, no comment from Israeli officials, nor anything from Iranian officials, and it came just hours after Iran responded militarily with an attack on a U.S. base. Iran threatened to respond to the American strikes on its nuclear sites. And tonight it did, releasing this video, firing missiles at Doha, Qatar, targeting a military base housing up to 10,000 American personnel air defense systems immediately lit up the sky over the sprawling all who did air

base tonight Qatar says it successfully thwarted the Iranian attack which it strongly condemned a senior cut the official telling NBC News cutter was expecting the attack hours earlier cut Qatar closed its airspace and Americans in the country were told to shelter in place the Iranian attack appears to have been largely symbolic Israel's attacks on Iran are certainly not Israel is stepping up its strikes inside Iran and expanding the kind of targets it's hitting and Iran isn't holding back against Israel either,

launching new attacks. This one captured on a dash cam. Another tearing off the front of an entire apartment block in Tel Aviv, leaving just a skeleton. An Iranian ballistic missile fired in retaliation to the American strikes in Iran exploded right here, destroying everything in the area,

except for this lone safe room with that metal window and reinforced concrete walls. Remarkably, a family of four was crammed inside, and all of them survived. What is it like for you now to look at your apartment like this? What can I say? It's my life.

Osnath Steinberger was trying to recover photographs and her paintings today from her apartment. But even with everything gone, she told us she still supports what Israel and the U.S. are doing, saying better to fight Iran now while it's weak. We learned from 7 October that when somebody is threatening you for many years, believe in him. But with so much destruction, she says she hopes it's over now and that it's time for negotiations. Jared Engle, NBC News, Tel Aviv.

All right, we want to get right back to that dramatic post from President Trump about a ceasefire between Israel and Iran tonight. Let's get straight to Gabe Gutierrez at the White House. Gabe, I understand you have some more reporting about this post and the ceasefire. Tom, the vice president just said that President Trump has been working the phones constantly. He spent much of the day in the Situation Room and now this surprise announcement. The administration touting this as a major foreign policy victory. Just hours after Iran fired its missiles tonight tonight President Trump is calling it a very weak response, which we expected and have very effectively countered, adding no Americans were harmed and hardly any damage was done.

Most importantly, they've gotten it all out of their system. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost. The president then writing, congratulations world, it's time for peace. Six weeks ago, President Trump had visited Iran's target, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, speaking to troops there. You're the finest we have. Well tonight, NBC News is also learning the White House made a last-minute effort to avoid

U.S. intervention in Iran by exploring backchannel talks with Iranian officials in Turkey, according to a senior administration official. President Trump offered to send Vice President Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Istanbul last week and was even willing to go himself, the official said. But the plan never materialized because Iran's supreme leader could not be reached to authorize a meeting. Instead, using these B-2 bombers, the U.S. launches airstrikes this weekend on three Iranian nuclear sites, including Isfahan. This new video shows the fireball

in the distance. Before and after images also reveal massive damage at the sites and show the holes where American bunker buster bombs hit before exploding underground. NBC News is also learning alarming new details about the potential fallout. Iran sent a private message to President Trump days before the U.S. attack, warning if the president launched airstrikes, Iran could respond with terrorist attacks inside the U.S. by activating its sleeper cells here, according to two U.S. officials and a person with knowledge of the threat. The U.S. classifies the Iranian regime as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Department of Homeland Security is warning of potential cyber attacks and a heightened threat environment. There could be more potential for threats here at home, and so that's why we're at an elevated threat right now. Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News, The White House. And as the world tries to make sense of the president's post about a ceasefire, this just came hours after Iran's missile attack on that base in Qatar. NBC's Courtney Cubase at the Pentagon with new reporting.

Courtney, what have you learned? Yeah, Tom, defense officials say that the U.S. military actually shot down many of those missiles fired from Iran in conjunction with their Qatari partners. Now, tonight it's not clear if these missiles were the entire Iranian military response to U.S. strikes over the weekend against their nuclear program, or if there could be more acts of retaliation coming. Earlier today, officials warned about possible threats against other bases in the region, where the U.S. has at least 40,000 U.S. military personnel based on land and at sea. Defense officials

say the U.S. is ready to respond if Iran continues to target the U.S. military. But tonight, we're also waiting for more information about the ceasefire that President Trump announced between Israel and Iran and how it could impact all these decisions. Tom? Courtney Qubi with that new reporting. Thank you. Overseas, nearly 300 firefighters are battling this massive fire on the island of Chios in Greece after multiple blazes broke out over the weekend, forcing more than a dozen towns to evacuate. Greek officials are investigating arson, saying the fire's scattered locations indicate suspicious activity. And back here at home, a Supreme Court ruling today made it easier for the Trump administration

to swiftly deport certain immigrants to, quote, third countries to which they have no previous connection. The decision clearing the way for the deportation of a group of men to South Sudan, the court's three liberal justices dissented. Okay, now to a big announcement from Sean Diddy Combs' lawyers who said they won't call any witnesses in his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Chloe Maloss was at the courthouse today, and Chloe, this was a huge surprise. It absolutely is.

Just a couple weeks ago, Combs' defense team said that they needed about a week and a half, and they had lists of witnesses that they planned to call. And then recently, Tom, they said that they only needed about two to three days. And now today they're saying that they're not planning to call any witnesses at all. I want to point out that on Thursday we're going to have closing arguments from both the government and Combs' defense team. That'll go into Friday morning. And then the jury could have the case as early as Friday afternoon.

Keep in mind, Combs is facing two counts of sex trafficking, RICO conspiracy, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. And if convicted on all, he faces life in prison. And we could be on verdict watch by the end of the week. All right, Chloe, we thank you. A major headline tonight on healthcare, and an often frustrating process millions of doctors and patients go through every year. Prior authorization.

Today, the organization representing insurance companies, acknowledging the system is broken and pledging changes. Here's Erin McLaughlin. Jason Probst has chronic inflammation. He says it took hours on the phone and four denials to finally get his insurance to approve the medication he needs. This sounds like a nightmare.

It is a nightmare. It felt like a deliberate attempt to delay the treatment that I needed. The process of prior authorization is a headache for many patients like Probst. It requires doctors to get sign off from insurance companies before certain care can occur. Each year, health insurance companies

issue millions of denials, refusing to pay for doctor-recommended treatments based on their own assessment. Is this system broken? Yes, I think we're getting worse patient outcomes because of it. Mike Tuffin is the CEO of AHIP, the organization representing major insurance companies. Do you agree this process is broken? Yes, the experience is not working for people. Which today announced a series of

commitments to simplify prior authorization, including applying the process more selectively and expanding real-time responses. We're trapped in this outdated system with paper and fax machines. We want to abolish all of it. We want a digital interconnected system that puts the patient in charge. But some doctors are skeptical, pointing to previous industry pledges that didn't pan out. I have to see it to believe it. And so I love the intention, but I would really like to see happier, healthier patients,

which we're not seeing right now. And with that, Aaron joins us live in studio. So Aaron, the big question is, what is the industry saying when patients are gonna see these changes? The CEO of Ahip told me it'll take time. Change is possibly beginning next year. Doctors and patients will be watching.

Yeah, we'll have to wait and see. Aaron, we thank you for that. We'll be right back with some of the most in-demand drugs on the planet. The coming weight loss pill option and why people who take shots may be able to take them less frequently, we'll explain. We are back now with the new innovations in weight loss

drugs that may make them easier to take and require injections less often. So when could these medications hit the market? Here's Maggie Vespa. Tonight, major potential breakthroughs in the booming world of weight loss drugs. First, drug maker Amgen trumpeting the early experimental success of Maritide,

a longer lasting GLP-1 injection that patients could take once a month instead of once a week. The regimen typically recommended for ozempic we go V and other popular medications. I have no plans of ever not being on these medications. The idea of monthly shots welcome news for patients like Chanel Robinson who's lost nearly 100 pounds using

semiglutides it would be fantastic for people that are scared of to give himself an injection another possible pounds using semi-glutides. That would be fantastic for people that are scared to give themselves an injection. Another possible alternative to weekly injections, Eli Lilly announcing their GLP-1 pill, which would be the first oral weight loss drug, is showing promising results and could be widely available next year.

The third major development, a new combination of drugs that researchers say could help patients lose weight without losing muscle mass. Day four of rebuilding the muscle that we lost while taking ozempic. Something Robinson says she experienced. I can feel myself incredibly weak. Just to have this growing list of options

for these medications, how exciting is that for you as a doctor? It's like boundless excitement to see how many tools we have in our toolbox to treat our patients. Now in our future, we're going to have so many different options that can best suit the patient's needs. I mean, it's thrilling. But still no word on cost or exactly how long it could be before these new drugs reach patients. Maggie Vespa, NBC News. All right, we are back in a moment with the driver terrifying people trying to

enjoy the National Mall in DC this weekend. What happened? Stay with us. We are back now with some disturbing news out of France, where 145 people were jabbed with needles during a music festival held across multiple cities this weekend. Police are now investigating whether the incidents were inspired by online posts encouraging people to target women with syringes. Authorities say 12 arrests have been made so far. And take a look at this mayhem back here at home on the National Mall in Washington when a driver sped across the lawn past summer crowds. U.S. Park police arrested 30-year-old Curtis Lear on Saturday,

charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and reckless driving. He is expected to appear in court on Thursday. And shooting for the stars, the world's largest digital camera capturing the cosmos in these incredible images. The Vera Rubin Observatory, sharing that its new telescope has already photographed, get this, millions of galaxies and thousands of asteroids. It is just the beginning of a 10-year mission. Make sure to subscribe to the NBC News podcast. Here's the scoop.

The inaugural episode is out now. That's Nightly News for this Monday. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Tom Yamas. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.