NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Episode Date: March 5, 2026

U.S. submarine sinks Iranian warship with torpedo; Thousands of Americans stranded in Middle East; Fallen US service members identified in war with Iran; and more on tonight’s broadcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Breaking news tonight as we come on the air. The strikes intensifying on Iran. The war spreading across the region as NATO shoots down a missile. Plus Americans trapped and terrified trying to get out. The dramatic escalation, a U.S. torpedo blowing up and sinking an Iranian warship. New explosions inside of Iran as the U.S. aims to destroy missile launchers. The Iranian drone shooting across a golf course in Dubai. NATO air defenses knocking out this missile headed for Turkey. Will other Western countries be dragged into the spiraling conflict? Chaos and confusion for Americans stranded in the Middle East. You'll see one father's desperate effort to get back home for his son's first birthday as drones forced airspace into lockdown. Is U.S. military help on the way? President Trump's wartime decision

our new reporting on the pivotal phone call that set strikes in emotion. shocking testimony on the hill, Homeland Security Secretary Christine Nome asked if she had a sexual relationship with top aide Corey Lewandowski, her response tonight. Plus, why was Attorney General Pam Bondi just subpoenaed to testify over the Epstein files? A plane crashing into a neighborhood slamming into homes before landing in the backyard what we know about those on board. The DNA match on a glove found near Nancy Guthrie's home who police say it belongs to. The high-speed chase sending a car, airborne, and skating upside down on a highway. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We begin tonight with the war in the Middle

East widening, with Iran attacking a new country as the Pentagon reveals new details on just how overpowering U.S. and Israel strikes have been. And even as new technology dominates the battlefield, we want to start with this image tonight. A rare look inside the periscope of a U.S. Navy submarine. It shows the first time an American torpedo has taken out a warship since World War II, basically blowing that vessel out of the water. Inside of Iran, we have new videos showing an all-out assault on the country's ballistic missiles, which have been wreaking havoc across the region.

One of those missiles, you see it right here, intercepted on its way to Turkey, threatening to draw the NATO alliance further into this conflict. And watch this drone falling and exploding in Oman. All of it as thousands of Americans you see them here are searching for any way to flee the Middle East. And tonight we're learning more about the six American service members killed. You see some of their faces there. We'll share who they were and their stories of sacrifice with you. We've got this story covered from here to the Middle East. And we start tonight with Richard Engel in Tel Aviv.

There hasn't been a video like this in decades, a periscope showing the massive blast after an American sub destroyed an Iranian Navy ship. It's the first time since World War II an American sub sunk an enemy ship with a torpedo. Somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15. And we're going to continue to do well. As the Pentagon describes sweeping success in the war's first four days. Only the United States of America could lead this, only us.

But when you add the Israeli defense forces a devastatingly capable force, the combination is sheer destruction for our radical Islamist Iranian adversaries. They are toast and they know it. The Pentagon released videos of U.S. strikes on Iranian missile launchers, limiting Iran's ability to carry out attacks, saying the number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran has plummeted 86% since Saturday, and that Iranian drone attacks are down 73%. The two most powerful air forces in the world, the U.S. and Israel, are dominating the skies of the world's largest state sponsor of terror. But Iran is still firing back and is attempting to widen the conflict even further, now targeting Turkey

a NATO member. NATO's air defenses shot down an Iranian missile that Turkey says penetrated its airspace. NATO's Secretary General today backing the U.S. and Israeli operation that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. NATO will defend every inch of NATO territory. We are all better off with him gone and with the nuclear and ballistic capability being beaten and degraded. While in Israel, Israeli-American Ziv Rotem showed us what's left of his home office after an Iranian missile exploded outside. He says he's anti-war, but supports this one. I think that this war could be pivotal and could benefit a lot of people and could fight actual evil, which is the Iranian regime, I think. So we've just received an alert that there is a

another Farage coming, so we're taking cover under a building that was already hit and already damaged by an earlier Iranian attack. And there are the sirens. All as Israel expands its strikes on the Iranian back group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran's Red Crescent says more than 1,000 Iranians have been killed in the war so far. Richard joins us now live. Richard, let's go back to that Iranian attack aimed at Turkey, a NATO member. Now raises the stakes here.

It certainly does. The attack on Turkey is a major escalation and is not the only one. Cyprus has been hit right now. Fighting is raging across the Israel-Lebanon border. A senior former U.S. military official told me, once you start a fire, you cannot control it. Tom. Richard, thank you.

The Trump administration today saying they're working to get thousands of Americans stranded in the region out. And with drone attacks crippling commercial air travel, they may start using military planes. Kier Simmons is in Dubai. Travelers across the region terrified by moments like this. Video obtained by NBC News today, a Dubai golf course, then a killer drone cruising overhead Sunday. After drones and missile attacks shut down airspace and led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations across the region.

Today, the White House insisting it is working to get Americans home saying they are chartering flights free of charge and opening up seats on military planes. The Trump administration will not rest until every American is home safely. Cody Green, desperate to get back to Tampa from Dubai. He says packing for a flight feels like Groundhog Day. I've done this a few times already. Headed to the airport, only to find his flight canceled. That's my son's first birthday today and the party is on Sunday.

I told my wife I would be home in time. I promised her. So tonight he went back again. All right, we're here. Dubai International Airport. It's a little crazy. A lot of people. Making his way through the crowded airport.

Well, we made it through security and customs. We're a total of zero. That's a okay. We're heading home. Green says he tried to get government help. I feel betrayed and left out to drive by my own government who started this whole thing without any plan in place to get their own people out. Lisa Thompson and her.

young children who says she's heard drones over her house in Dubai. Really, really, really, really intense. Says the hotline, Secretary Rubio told people to call for help was disappointing. To be honest, the information that we've received from the US has been pretty poor. The White House says it has now fixed the hotline. Kier, it's clear there's still confusion out there. Is there any sign more commercial flights will start to open up soon? No, it's not over yet, Tom.

just hearing that hundreds more flights have been canceled for tomorrow. But that dad trying to get home to Tampa to his son's first birthday, he's just told us, Tom, he's boarded. He's on his way home. Tom? We hope he makes it. All right, Kear, we thank you for that. Now to our new reporting on the timeline of the president's decision to strike Iran. Garrett Hake joins us from the White House. Garrett, we learned a lot about a key phone call the president received. That's right, Tom. A senior U.S. official tells us Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

who called President Trump last Monday, relaying intel that the Ayatollah would be meeting with his top advisors on Saturday, making them all vulnerable to a single strike. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt told me today that that call impacted the timeline, but the President Trump was already inclined to act as negotiations with Iran faltered. She also told me that she believes the American public supports this mission. But tonight our new NBC News poll shows a majority of Americans, 54%, disapprove of the president's handling of Iran. with just 41% approving. Those numbers mostly break along partisan lines,

but with just 28% of independence approving. Tom? Garrett, Hake for us at the White House, Garrett, thank you. Tonight we want to tell you about and highlight the U.S. troops killed in an Iranian strike this weekend. Their families and friends speaking out about their lives and their sacrifice. Here's Courtney Kuby with their stories.

The strikes in Kuwait were fast and furious. One of them hitting where a group of American soldiers were stationed, killing six. 20-year-old specialist Declan Cody's sister says she still doesn't believe her little brother is gone. I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back. I just wish he got to know one more time

that we all loved him because he was so amazing and kind. Captain Cody Cork was the kind of leader a junior soldier hoped to have. He cared about people. Hey, I'm not going to put soldiers in harm's way. That's what you look for in a commander. Sergeant First Class Noah Teigen's left his mark

on everyone around him. He is the kind of a person that's confident, but then respectful, easy to get along with right away. And Sergeant First Class, Nicola Moore, was just 39 years old, the mother of two, supposed to return home later this month. Chief Warren Officer Robert Marsan and Major Jeffrey O'Brien were also killed when an Iranian drone got through the air defenses and hit the operations center where they were working. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs saluting their sacrifice. To our wounded warriors and their loved ones, we will never. forget your sacrifice. Our nation stands with you and we are eternally grateful for your courage, your resiliency, your devotion to this mission and to our nation.

While Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth, suggesting the attention to their sacrifice is political. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it's front page news. I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad. Tonight, the White House announcing President Trump will attend the dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base when the fallen troops return home. Courtney Cubey, NBC News, Washington. In D.C., there was heated and at times salacious testimony today on Capitol Hill. Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem was grilled on whether she had a sexual relationship

with one of her top aides. Ryan Nobles has the latest. Tonight, embattled Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem. Confronted over allegations, she's having a sexual relationship with former Trump campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who serves as an unconfirmed special governmental employee. Have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski? Mr. Chairman, I am shocked that we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee. Nome offended by the question, but never directly answering it.

I really think you need to say the word no into the record so that you can clear that up. I think the ridiculousness of this and the tabloids that you are quoting and referencing are insane. And this has been something that I've refuted for years, and I continue to do that. Noam also forced to defend the department's $200 million ad campaign with the secretary as the star. You budgeted an astonishing $220 million for media consultant contracts. So you can star in self-promoting photo shoots and lavish ad campaigns. The secretary also cornered on NBC News's reporting over her seeking approval for the purchase of a seven million dollar luxury jet with taxpayer funds. The DHS says the plane was intended to save taxpayer money.

Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to buy a deportation plane in the first place? Democrats accusing her of steering more than $140 million to a marketing company with a tie to her political apparatus, something Nome defended. All done correctly. Fourteen billion impressions from that marketing campaign. It was money spent in this country and in eight different countries that illegal migration was coming from? Madam Secretary. Overwhelmingly effective. We all understand the argument that you've made.

And Ryan, it's busy there tonight on Capitol Hill. There is late news about a subpoena for Attorney General Pam Bondi. Tom, that's right. The House Oversight Committee has requested that Bondi appear for a deposition to answer questions about her department's release of the Epstein files. Five Republicans joining 19 Democrats in voting for the subpoena. There's no word on when that deposition will happen. Tom.

Ryan Nobles, with the new report. tonight, Ryan, thank you. It was the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history. And now it's heading to a runoff. Today, President Trump announced he's finally ready to endorse in the bitter Texas Senate race amid new momentum for Texas Democrats who haven't won a Senate seat there in decades. Melanie Zanona reports. The dramatic Republican primary in Texas is not quite over. But President Donald Trump hoping to bring the bitter and expensive ordeal to an end. With incumbent Senator John Cornyn now facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxon in a May runoff,

GOP leaders warning President Trump that scandal-plagued Paxton could cost them the seat. I've spoken with the president already today about Texas. I hope the president will endorse John Cornyn. President Trump said Wednesday he'll be endorsing someone soon and asked the other candidate to immediately drop out of the race. I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxon. and risk everything we've worked so hard to build. For too long, John Cornyn has turned his back on us.

All while Democrats selected state rep James Talleyco over Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Talariko has leaned on his Christian faith and pointed to his electability, highlighting the record-breaking voter turnout in the state. In the House, a tough night for incumbents. Dan Crenshaw, a war hero in the only House Republican without a Trump endorsement, lost. And Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez now head. to a runoff amid allegations he had an affair with a staffer who died by suicide. The House Ethics Committee announcing today it's investigating.

And tonight, Gonzalez admitting to the affair for the first time. I made a mistake. And I had a lapse in judgment. And there was a lack of faith. And I take full responsibility for those actions. Before the primary, sources told NBC News that President Trump was likely to endorse Cornyn as long as he kept the race close, which he did. Tom.

Melanie, thank you. When we return in 60 seconds, the small plane crashing into the back of a house. Look at this. The mangled wreckage upside down. How everyone survived. That's next. We're back now with a striking scene in Phoenix, a plane crashing scene in the middle of a neighborhood. Steve Patterson tonight with the wild video and story. A frightening scene playing out in Phoenix, this small plane, plummeting into a backyard, spewing fuel and broken parts across multiple. homes. Okay, yeah, we've got the plane here. It's into a house. Spotted from the sky, the crash sticking out of the ground, a small tower of wreckage. And you can see the path of that crash from the street. Take a look, the plane clipping one roof before crashing right into the yard next door, and part of the wing still up there. According to the fire department, the plane hit a baby's room. Fortunately, the child wasn't there at the time. Inside the plane, a student and

instructor. Authorities say they were alert and taken to the hospital. A third person inside one of the homes hit, also hospitalized. Authorities say the plane had taken off a few miles away from nearby Deer Valley Airport before experiencing a mechanical problem. I just darted over. Michael Hammonds lives across the street and immediately ran over to help those trapped. Both of the pilots managed to get out of the wreckage. They were definitely, they were walking, but they were, you know, disoriented. Authorities say the three injured remain in stable condition, size of relief for a faded free fall that could have ended a lot worse. Steve Patterson, NBC News, Phoenix.

All right, we're back in a moment with new details about the gloves found near Nancy Guthrie's home, who the DNA matched with. Plus, a car hits over 100 miles an hour, then flips into oncoming traffic. How would happen next. We're back now with an update in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who's now been missing for 32 days. The Pima County Sheriff revealing a pair of gloves found a couple miles from Nancy's home like these were traced to a restaurant worker not connected to the crime.

The investigation is looking into several other pieces of evidence sent to a lab for DNA testing. And a high-speed chase in Washington State caught on camera, the driver reaching more than 100 miles per hour when the cars you saw there flipped on its roof sliding into oncoming traffic. Several drivers narrowly avoided crashing into the vehicle. Police saying it was pure luck that there were no injuries. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamis. much for watching tonight and always we're here for you good night