NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

Sources: Trump considers potential strike against Iran; Israel: Iran’s military leaders ‘on the run’; Police chief reveals new details about targeted attack at lawmaker’s home; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, our new reporting President Trump considering a possible U.S. strike on Iran. The missiles just fired into Tel Aviv moments ago. This as Israeli jets attacked from the air, bombing Iranian F-14 fighters and rocket launchers. Our president declaring, we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. And tonight calling for its its quote, unconditional surrender. Iranians scrambling to get out the massive traffic jam in Tehran and now reports of a cyber attack paralyzing ATMs. Will Israel take out the secretive

fordo nuclear facility buried deep in the earth? Also breaking tonight back here at home, flooding in Pennsylvania, stranding nearly a hundred Girl Scouts as millions are under severe weather threats, massive tornadoes ripping across the Midwest, and devastating floods killing seven in West Virginia. The last words from one victim to his mother before he was swept away. Verdict watch tonight why we may have an idea of how the jury in the Karen Reed case will make up their mind. And the Trump Organization getting into the

phone business can it really be made in the USA and cost $500? The tense moments as a Democratic mayoral candidate is arrested at an immigration court. The wild surveillance video, a dog trying to chase off a bear that broke into its California home and portrait of the class of 2025 the surprise from a fellow graduate that is picture-perfect. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamares. And good evening we are coming on the air with breaking news. Moments ago, our Richard Engel and his team capturing this, a new round of Iranian missiles

streaming through the skies of Tel Aviv. This as Israel bombs what is believed to be one of Iran's last F-14 fighter jets. President Trump jumping into the high stakes fray today, urging, quote, unconditional surrender from Iran as Israel ups its raid, saying, quote, we now have complete control of the skies over Iran. The president considering a possible U.S. strike on Iran, that according to multiple current and former administration officials. The question is now about if it's an effort to take out that critical reactor deep in a mountain in order to cripple their nuclear enrichment program.

President Trump's message coming after he urged Iranians to flee this video showing traffic jams inside of Tehran. We have coverage tonight from Israel to Washington, and that's where we begin with Peter Alexander at the White House. Tonight with the conflict between Iran and Israel escalating president Trump meeting with his national security team inside the situation room is considering a range of options, including a possible U.S. strike on Iran according to multiple current and former administration officials it comes as the president is amping up his

warnings to Iran calling for its quote unconditional surrender and in a blunt message to Iran's I told a Likha money saying we know exactly what the so-called Supreme leader is hiding but adding we're not going to take him out kill at least not for now, but we don't want missile shot at civilians or American soldiers are patients is wearing thin. And after abruptly leaving the G 7 overnight president Trump is

pressing Iran to back down. All of it a significant shift in tone for the president who's repeatedly vowed he will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon but for weeks is back diplomacy urging the Iranians to make a deal now indicating Iran may have missed its window. President Trump today also declaring we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran, though no us forces or jets are participating in the Israeli strikes. Israel has damaged multiple Iranian nuclear enrichment sites,

but has yet to strike the secretive Fordo facility buried deep beneath a mountain. That would likely require a U.S. warplane and an American 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb, which Israel does not possess, a bomb that will not explode until it's underground. The vice president today saying that president Trump may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment later noting the U.N. nuclear watchdog just determined Iran is not complying with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations. If you want safety part of safety and I think all

Americans want that is ensuring that the worst people in the world don't have a nuclear bomb. Peter joins us live tonight from the White House. Peter, just last week we were talking about efforts to get a deal with Iran. Now we're considering joining the war. What's behind the escalation? Tom, President Trump had long been pushing for negotiations over bombings, but in the days before the Israeli strikes, multiple U.S. officials tell NBC News that he became

convinced Israel's anxiety was warranted, and they say he did not want to be the president on whose watch Iran was able to obtain a nuclear weapon. Tom? Peter Alexander, for us now to the new strikes inside of Iran today by Israel, taking out Iranian fighter jets and missile launchers. I want to get right to Richard Engel and his team

just witnessing a new Iranian strike on Tel Aviv. Richard joins us and Richard tell our viewers what just happened. And right now Iranian ballistic missiles are coming into Tel Aviv. You can see the Israeli air raid systems in operation right there. Some of the Iron Dome system going up, There, some of the Iron Dome system going up, making interceptions. They are exploding at relatively high altitude just over the center of Tel Aviv. This is the second barrage we've heard just in the last few minutes. Israel tonight is launching new strikes inside Iran, taking out Iranian F-14 fighter jets while still on the runway and destroying ballistic missile launchers in Western Iran. Israel now declaring the Iranian military leadership is on the run,

and that it just killed Iran's most senior military commander, General Ali Shadmani, who had replaced another general Israel killed just four days ago. At a press conference tonight, Israel's foreign minister warning anyone in Iran to quote, consider carefully before taking that job. And this from Israel's ambassador to the United States. You're gonna see some surprises on Thursday night and Friday. Overnight images of massive traffic jams as residents rushed out of Tehran. While we've now learned from sources on the ground, potential cyber attacks are hitting Iran's banking system, with some ATMs not working.

Israel's military operation targeting Iran's nuclear program and its military leaders is now into day five. Israel saying it's killed several top Iranian generals and 10 nuclear scientists. Today, Germany's chancellor praising Israel's operations saying, this is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. While China's President Xi saying all parties should work to de-escalate. Iran has launched missiles every day against Israel. Some seen streaking through the skies

out of the window of a passenger jet. Only a few were launched today. I heard this ballistic missile explode around 9 o'clock this morning. It caused a major bang, but nobody was killed or injured here. Instead, a lot of buses. This is a bus depot just north of Tel Aviv and the buses were totally charred. Israel says Iran has launched 400 ballistic missiles at Israel since Friday. Air defenses have taken out most of them. Richard Engel, NBC News, Tel Aviv.

And back here at home to the severe weather, flood watch is in effect for 21 million people from Pennsylvania to Kansas and in West Virginia Virginia the desperate last words from one man swept away by flood waters. George Solis is there. Tonight torrential rain pounding Kansas as severe weather threatens millions. The day illusion in Pennsylvania is stranding this group of 100 Girl Scouts, first responders helping the troop across a flooded ro Pittsburgh, nearly 20 tor to Minnesota. This massiv

ripping across the corn h farms and homes for nearl National Guard on the sc state reeling after major lives of seven people, in Kylie shot and in her thr old daughter Parker. I know I heard someone yell help and I think it was him.

All you do is watch helplessly is I couldn't do anything in triad. Delphia Brian Creighton says his 19 year old son Travis was with his mother Donna. The water quickly rising, ripping their home from its foundation. We're both swept away. Donna surviving Travis last words that I was swimming Mommy swim. I'm trying baby I'm trying. And then I just kept going underwater.

Brian says his son died a hero. His last selfless act. That's really want my baby boy back Tonight there is so much heartbreak and the threat of rain continues into tomorrow slowing down the cleanup process and these already hard-hit communities Tom George Solis with those devastating stories out of West Virginia now to the latest on the Investigation to the attack on Democratic politicians in Minnesota. Police revealing chilling new details about the murder of Melissa and Mark Hortman. Here's Maggie Vespa.

Tonight a solemn procession carrying the bodies of state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. As Minnesota authorities work to determine the motive of the suspect, they say stalked and killed them at their home early Saturday as part of a targeted attack on lawmakers. He's nothing short of a monster. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruhle today sharing new details about the shootout at the Hortmans home describing this frantic call from a sergeant. She said, Hey, Chief, here's the deal. Senator Hoffman, who lived in Champlain, had been shot. His wife had been shot. We came over to Melissa

Hortman's house and mark her husband is dead. We can't find Melissa. We think she might be kidnapped and the officers got involved in a shooting with the suspect. It wasn't until officers went deeper into the home that they found her dead. The family dog, Gilbert, wounded. He was later euthanized. It was from here, the Hortman's home, that authorities say Belter took off on foot, sparking that historic two-day manhunt.

According to court documents, during that manhunt, authorities found guns, cash, and passports in Belter's wife's car. Can you tell me whether or not she's been cleared in that investigation? I would say nobody's been cleared in this investigation. Lawmakers around the country, on edge. Congress today holding an emergency briefing about safety. Minnesota rep Zach Stevenson knew Melissa Hortman for decades today remembering this advice she once shared. You can be strong and kind at the same time. And that really was what Melissa Hortman was all about.

The Hortman's grown Children saying the best way to honor their parents is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Now to the third day of deliberations in Karen Reed's re-trial for the murder of her boyfriend. The jury asking a series of questions today, hinting at possible confusion, even division. Emily Aketa is at the courthouse for us. Emily, what do they ask? Tom, no verdict yet, but we are getting some insight into where jurors' heads are.

Asking a question this afternoon, if we find not guilty on two charges but can't agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge? Now, the jury is allowed to come to a unanimous decision on just some charges, but the judge said she would not answer their question today, calling it theoretical. The defense raising concerns that confusion over that point could lead to a repeat of last year's mistrial. Remember, Reed is accused of hitting her police officer boyfriend with her car and charged with second degree murder, manslaughter while driving drunk and leaving the scene of a deadly accident. A possible sticking point in deliberations. The jury also asked questions about lesser charges related to drunk driving. Deliberations, Tom, are set to resume tomorrow morning.

All right, Emily, we thank you for that. The Trump Organization, led by the president's sons, Eric and Don Jr., say it will begin selling a smartphone later this summer designed and built in the United States. The cost? $499. We asked our Brian Chung to see how that could be done. And today we're here to introduce Trump Mobile. The Trump Organization's latest business venture is going mobile. From high rises to golf courses, drinkware, and of course hats, now add unlimited talk and text. We've partnered with some of the greatest people in the industry to make sure that real

Americans can get true value from their mobile carriers. The president's sons promoting a mobile plan for $47.45 per month, the price a nod to their father's two terms in office, but also higher than the $25 to $30 competitors charged for comparable services. We're keeping our data on shore. Donald Trump Jr. highlighting a St. Louis call center to keep customers data stateside. The Trump Organization also promising a $499 gold smartphone to be released in August, dubbed the T1.

The company's website calling it proudly designed and built in the United States. That statement met with wide range skepticism. Where is it truly being made? What is actually being made here in the U.S. and was being made abroad? Are questions to the Trump organization asking the same thing receiving no response today. It's a massive amount of undertaking to begin with. In Carlsbad, California, Todd Weaver says this is the only smartphone manufactured in the U.S. The Liberty phone made by his company Purism. It's 100% done here. The assembly is 100% done here and the parts are majority American. Correct, that's right. Liberty phones cost $2,000. They're also twice as thick as and have half the

memory of an iPhone Pro and they don't allow users to download many apps. What we do is we provide complete control to the person. The company says it's sold tens of thousands, thanks in part to its security features. The phone, Weaver says, took time to make. From idea to finished US made phone was six years. And so when it comes to the talking point of, there are some things you just can't do in the United States.

Can you build a smartphone in the United States? Well, of course, we're obviously proof of that. All right. And on that point, Brian, you just showed us that Made in America smartphone costs $2,000. But the Trump Organization mobile phone is going to cost $499, also claiming to be made in America. How's that possible? Yeah, that's a pretty low price point compared to its competitors. But without knowing where it's made or where its parts come from, it's tough to say how Trump mobile is going to be able to price it at that point. We're gonna learn a lot more when that phone comes out which Trump mobile says will happen in August.

In August, okay. Brian, we thank you for that. Up next, the moment a New York City candidate for mayor was arrested at immigration court. This is the video why federal officials say they took him into custody. We are back now with another high profile clash between immigration officials and a democratic politician. New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested, according to DHS, for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Lander says he was holding the arm of a man immigration officials were trying to detain

and asking whether agents had a warrant. Food Network star Anne Burrell has died. The classically trained chef was known for her big personality and signature platinum blonde hair. The cause of her death hasn't been released. She was 55. And while surveillance footage captures the moment one tiny dog went nose to nose with a massive black bear in California. The dog barking at the unbothered intruder who continued to look for food before going back outside through the yard. The bear was wearing a tracker, meaning it's possibly been caught breaking and entering into homes before.

Okay, when we come back, the high school graduation surprise, you could call it a masterpiece. That's next. Finally there's good news tonight for a high school student who shocked her classmates on graduation day. Sam Brock on how she managed to pull off an unforgettable surprise. From all appearances graduation at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island look like a normal ceremony, but

salutatorian Sophia Nielsen I prepared a little surprise for all of my fellow graduates had a trick up her sleeve. You might say to her campus. First I thought I would just make a big painting of the school's campus that I thought like graduations not about the buildings, it's about the students the nationally recognized artist sketched classmates on an iPad then brought them to life in

watercolor next to their yearbook pictures all 110 of them the process took months and the results on cany and stealth even her childhood friend Kaylee was in the dark so your families are like family. Yeah, definitely. I do this is going on? Not a clue. Right behind my back. School leaders offering supplies and a stage for something special. I wanted everyone to cry.

So you had a very clear goal in all this. Yes. You wanted tears. Yes. What unfolded... Would please reach underneath your seats. There's something plastic tape there. Was a medley of emotions. A standing ovation.

A graduation sure to stand the test of time for an artist who paints what she feels I knew it was a lot of work. Sam Brock NBC News Staten Island. We thank Sam for that. That's Nightly News for this Tuesday. Thank you so much for watching. I'm Tom Yamaas. Tonight and always, we're here for you.

Good night.