Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, March 5, 2026

Episode Date: March 6, 2026

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're following two breaking stories as we come on the air. President Trump firing Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem, and I speak exclusively with Iran's foreign minister as the war spreads to another country. Christy Noem, now out. The president's first major firing of his second term, the multiple controversies she was battling, including accusations of an affair with aide Corey Lewandowski, our new reporting on why the president made the change now,

and what we know about the senator who's likely to lead the agency. See next. Also breaking tonight, war spreading across the Middle East, Iranian strikes hitting an airport in Azerbaijan, what the Iranian foreign ministers said when we pressed him about why they're striking civilians and the possibility of U.S. troops on the ground. Escaping the war zone, the first U.S. charter flights evacuating Americans taking off as thousands still remain stranded. And we're on the ground in Beirut with families fleeing Israel's new offensive against Hezbollah. New body cam video of police taking down the Austin bar shooter, the chilling moment as the gunman paces with an AR-15 rifle. Savannah's emotional return to Studio 1A, embracing her Today Show team

amid the search for her mother, what she's saying about returning to the anchor desk. Plus, what is life like inside of Iran? The rare and powerful interview with a man living in Tehran amid an internet blackout, what he thinks it would take to topple the regime for good. Top story starts right now. Good evening tonight at Major Cabinet, Jacob. President Trump firing Christy Noem, his divisive Homeland Security Secretary, announcing on truth social, she will no longer lead DHS, and instead will serve as envoy for the shield of the Americas. Noam, now the first cabinet member to lose her job during Trump's second term, her tenure defined by mass deportations and aggressive immigration crackdowns, including two fatal shootings involving federal agents that killed American citizens in Minneapolis this year. But the president seemed to stand by her through it all, telling me just weeks ago she's doing a very good job. So what changed? A top administration official telling NBC News, the president was frustrated by Nome's testimony on Capitol Hill this week, where she was pressed about a controversial $220 million ad campaign that featured her prominently. What that testimony and what the president's thought about it being the last straw.

Tonight we're learning more about the Senator Trump just tapped to replace her. Peter Alexander's covering it all. Tonight Secretary Noam no longer, President Trump ousting perhaps the most divisive member of his cabinet, Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem, who led his immigration enforcement crackdown. The president abruptly announcing her firing on social media, writing, I thank Christy for her service at Homeland, saying she had numerous and spectacular results, especially on the border. Moments later, this awkward split screen. Thank you for coming to this conference. Noam on stage at a law enforcement conference, but never mentioning her firing. A top administration official tells NBC News, President Trump, already frustrated by a series of known high-profile controversies.

This week was infuriated by her testimony before lawmakers, where she was repeatedly pressed on a rule securing a $220 million border security ad campaign that featured her prominently. If you come here the right way, your American dream can be as big as these endless skies. Did the president know you're going to do this? Yes. He did. Mm-hmm. Yes. A White House official says President Trump.

Trump never signed off on the spending. During this year's immigration raids in Minnesota that left two protesters dead, Noam came under fire for accusing Alex Prattie of domestic terrorism, despite video contradicting her account. Noam's firing comes just weeks after President Trump praised her to Tom. Do you still believe in Christy Noem to deliver on your vision of immigration? She was in charge of the border. The border's closed.

I mean, everybody gives me a plus on the border. Noem was a lightning rod for criticism, hosting a photo op at a maximum security. Salvador in prison, purchasing a luxury plane that DHS claimed would be used for deportation flights, and facing allegations of an affair with her top advisor, Corey Lewandowski, who an administration official says is also expected to depart. Nome brushed off questions about the relationship at a congressional hearing this week. President Trump naming Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma the next DHS secretary, pending Senate approval.

There's an opportunity to build off successes, and there's also opportunities to build off things that maybe didn't go quite his plan. Okay, with that, Peter Alexander joins us from the White House. So, Peter, the president has publicly praised Noam. We saw that daring to report, but you now have new reporting on what's been going on behind the scenes. Tom, that's right. President Trump announced that Noam is going to move to what is a newly created position overseeing a security initiative that will be unveiled during an event this weekend in Miami.

But tonight an administration official tells NBC news that Noam's drama in this person's words overshadowed and distracted from the president's immigration agenda, which this official insist will continue full force. Tom, after that back and forth with Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana about that border security ad campaign, Kennedy, having heard about Nome's firing, said that he knew the president was, in his words, not happy, saying he remembers thinking she was, in his words, dead as a fried chicken. Tom. All right, Peter Alexander for us, live at the White House. I want to bring an NBC News senior Homeland Security correspondent, Julia Ainsley, who has some exclusive new reporting about Christy Knoem tonight as well.

Julia, you're learning more about how Noam handled the selection of contractors to lead a $100 million ice recruitment campaign? Yeah, that's right, Tom. You saw in Peters reporting that controversial campaign that Noam came under fire for regarding that ad in front of Mount Rushmore. Now we are learning, according to three administration officials and internal communications that we've obtained, that Noam wanted those same contractors who did that ad to also get $100 million for an ICE recruitment campaign to try to bring more. officers and agents into the agency amid the surge for deportations and arrest. We're told that she handpicked those against the wills of the staff there who were saying that they needed to go with someone who could do the same job at a lower cost. In fact, one of those officials had his job threatened and was berated by a deputy at ICE because she said she was taking her answers from Secretary Nome and she was upset this official was trying

to override the decision. Of course, the bidding process is meant to be competitive to allow for the most efficient process and to save taxpayer money. Julia Ainsley, with that new reporting tonight, Julia, thank you. Now to our other breaking headline, the widening war with Iran as more countries are pulled into the spiraling conflict. At this hour, new nighttime strikes are blasting cities inside of Iran. Tonight, Secretary of Defense Pete Hagseth, saying, quote, we have only just begun to fight. And just today, two Iranian drones flying across its border into Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan. This video is showing a fiery strike falling right near a school. I spoke exclusively

with Iran's foreign minister today, pressing him about whether Iran is ready for U.S. ground troops and why Iran is striking its own neighbors. Tonight, the alarming airport attack. Video showing a drone striking in Azerbaijan, injuring four people. The country's foreign ministers saying more drones hit, including near a school, calling them Iranian terrorist attacks. It's the 15th country Iran has struck with drones or ballistic missiles since this weekend. Today we spoke to Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arachi, about those Iranian strikes. Why are you attacking your Muslim neighbors during the holy month of Ramadan?

Please don't mistake. We have not attacked our neighbors. We have not attacked Muslim countries. We have attacked Americans' targets. and Americans' bases, Americans' installations, which are unfortunately located in the soils of our neighbors. But Minister, Iran is hitting civilian targets, striking hotels, high-rise apartments, airports in many of these countries. Those are not military targets. Well, no, we have targeted very well the Americans are.

Maybe there have been some collateral damages as it is in every war. This is a war of choice by the United States, and they should be held responsible for all those damages. Minister, NATO said they shot down an Iranian missile, which Turkey says was in its airspace. Are you creating new enemies every single day? Well, we have, you know, our military has denied firing any missile to either Turkey or Azerbaijan. There's video of the missile on the ground. NATO has said this was fired by Iran. Well, there is no reason why we should fire, you know, a missile to Turkey, which is, you know, a good neighbor of us.

Also, there is no reason to fire, you know, drones to Azerbaijan. We are investigating that was what has gone wrong regarding these missiles or drones. It comes as the Pentagon says America is winning decisively against Iran in the joint U.S. Israeli operation, that they have complete control of the skies and are taking out Iranian ballistic missile launchers. Ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83% since day one. President Trump tonight. As soon as they set off a missile within four minutes, the launcher gets hit.

They don't know what's happening. But we have the greatest military anywhere in the world. we pressed the foreign minister. The Pentagon says America is winning decisively. Do you think they're wrong? Well, I think, you know, now six days after the war, it is clear that the U.S. has failed to achieve its main goal, which was a clean, rapid victory.

They failed to achieve that, and now they are trying to justify why they did attack us. Minister, your supreme leader was killed. Your top military leaders were killed. Your military installations have been bombed. How can you call that a failure? Well, then what they have achieved? What was their goal?

They came here for a regime change, perhaps. They came here for a rapid victory so they can control everything. But they have failed. The system is working. The commanders have been replaced, and the supreme leader is going to be replaced soon, according to the procedures set by the Constitution. So everything is in order.

Can Iran win this war and what does winning look like for Iran? Well, there is no winner in this war. Our win is to be able to resist against their illegal goals. And this is what we have done so far. Right now you're saying Iran does not want a ceasefire. We are not asking for a ceasefire. And we don't see any reason why we should negotiate. with the U.S. when we negotiated with them twice and every time they attacked us at the middle of negotiations.

So who comes next after the Ayatollah? There are reports that Ayatollah Hamani's son is a frontrunner. Is that true? Well, actually, I have done, you know, exact information. There are many rumors around, but, you know, we have to wait for the assembly of experts to choose the new supreme leader. We asked about the American submarine that took out this Iranian battleship with a torpedo. The world saw your battleship sunk in the Indian Ocean. Dozens of Iranian sailors died. Your response was, quote, mark my words. The U.S. will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set.

So what is Iran going to do? And at this point, given the state of your military right now, what can you do? Well, first of all, that was a training navy training ship. which was invited by the Indian Navy to take part in an exercise. The ship was unarmed. So attacking an unarmed ship full of, you know, training officers and sailors, is a war crime, I have to say. What type of battleship, what minister, excuse me,

but what type of military would allow a battleship into the ocean with no weapons on board? Well, because it was, you know, the goal was not, their aim was not going to war. They went for an exercise. And tonight, Israel striking Iranian internal security forces, it says, are responsible for those recent brutal crackdowns on Iranian protests. We spoke to one man inside of Iran tonight who asked us to conceal his identity for his safety, telling us his reaction to the U.S. and Israeli air strikes. I was exhilarated. That finally, finally someone stood to this nasty people, nasty people who just machine gun, empty-handed protesters. Now he's worried the strikes will end too soon, allowing the government to stay in power.

Just help us. I'm afraid if the help and military action would stop so they can recover. And again, after stopping, they will come and hope. hunt for us. Even if my house is bombed by U.S. or Israel, they are not responsible. Regime is responsible. They have caused this. He says the internet is cut off in Iran. We asked the foreign minister. Inside Iran right now, we've heard that the government is cutting off the internet. Why are you closing off information for the Iranian population while this crisis is unfolding? Well, this is not the case. Almost, you know, all Iranians have access to social networks. And, you know, in some cases, for security reasons, we have, you know, caught access to Internet. President Trump has not ruled out boots on the ground in Iran. Are you afraid of a U.S. invasion in your country?

No, we are waiting for them. for the U.S. military to invade the ground troops? Yes, because we are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them. Minister, the White House will likely see this interview. What is your message to President Trump? Well, my message is that their plan A to achieve a clean, rapid victory in Iran has failed. I'm sure the plan B would even a bigger failure.

So there is no way that they can win this war. As long as it takes, we resist. So they better to stop this war and stop killing our people. While President Trump tonight with a message to Iran. And I'm once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military, and the police to lay down their arms. They're only going to be killed. I want to bring in our team of reporters who have been covering this war from all angles.

Chief International correspondent Keir Simmons is on the ground in Dubai, senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez in Washington, chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel is in Tel Aviv tonight, and senior NBC news correspondent Courtney Kuby is in Washington. Richard, I'm going to start with you. The foreign minister told me Iran has no intention of closing the Strait of Ormuse. We've been watching that area closely as oil prices skyrocket around the world. Should companies take Iran for their word?

Well, I think right now the Strait of Hormuz is in a great, deal of danger. I think even though the Iranian Navy has been largely destroyed and so many ships have been taken out of commission, there is still a lot of military activity in the area. There are reports here in Israel that the Houthis, who have been quiet thus far, may be seeking to get involved. There is the possibility of mines in the sea. There's possibility of unexploded ordinance and debris. There are still great concerns about that critical passage way where 20% of the world's oil and gas passes through. And then, Courtney, we heard the foreign minister say the ship the U.S. took out with a torpedo

was unarmed. What do we make of that? And has the U.S. military responded to that? They have not. Now, keep in mind that Iranian ship was there as part of an, they were invited by the Indian military to take part in an exercise there. What we don't know, Tom, is exactly whether as part of that exercise, there was a precondition that the ships were not allowed to have any ammunition. on it. That is not outside the realm of possible, but again, we've been asking the questions, and we simply don't have definitive answers to that. And, Kira, you're in Dubai, one of the cities that Iran has hit, the foreign minister defended the Iranian strikes. We've seen on civilian

areas like high rises and airports, chalking it up to collateral damage from efforts to target U.S. bases. Does that track with what you've been reporting on and seen with your own eyes? Look, it's possible that some of these munitions have gone awry. It's likely that some of them were deliberate. After all, trying to hit an airport does hit the economy of a country like this. We saw just today the UAE, civilians injured by falling debris from missiles and drones being struck out of the sky. Don't take my word for it, Tom. Just listen to the Prime Minister of Qatar, who categorically rejected that claim by the Iranians after a phone call with Foreign Minister Arachi or the foreign minister of France

who condemned attacks on civilians after a phone call of foreign minister of Raji, even the foreign minister of China, Wang Yi, who has urged Iran to respect other countries, other neighboring countries, and that was after a phone call with

Iraqi. And then, Gabe, the foreign minister did not hold back when it came to President Trump and his administration's handling of this conflict. What was notable to you about what he had to say about that? Well, Tom, certainly Look, there are a lot of questions about not just the military objectives here from the administration, but also the political objectives.

I thought it was notable during part of your interview. When you mentioned that Rapport, that Axios report, that President Trump wanted to take an active role in selecting the next supreme leader, the president also saying something similar to Axios today, saying that he wanted to have a big impact. The foreign minister told you that, look, he brushed that off. He said, absolutely, this is the business of the Iranian people, and that there will be no American. interference. But actually, right now, the administration keeps stressing these military objectives, but the president himself says that he wants to be involved in selecting the future of Iran, kind of like what happened in Venezuela, of course. Both conflicts extremely

different, and there remains a lot of questions about whether that objective, any sort of regime change objective, can be achieved in the short term or whether the U.S. might be drawn into a larger conflict. Courtney, there's been a lot of reports about a deadly strike on an Iranian school where more than 100 people were killed, many of them children. I want to play that exchange. We've seen that the children's school was struck in Iran. We know that more than 150 people have died. Many of them were children.

The U.S. says it's investigating. Do you have any evidence about where this missile came from? Well, the details are investigating by our army, but it is clear that. hit the missiles, the school was hit by Americans. And that is a war crime. So Iran is accusing America of a war crime of striking this school, of attacking this school. The U.S. military so far, Courtney, as you know, has said, investigating. At this moment, do we have any more about, do we know any more about who was responsible for that attack? No, I mean, as of this evening, the U.S. is still investigating. What we do know is that the U.S.

military has been operating, even in the first 100 hours of this war, they were operating in the area near that school. That means that they had munitions flying in the air. Now, it will be easy and definitive for them to look at their targeting, to look at satellite imagery, and to know whether, in fact, it was one of their munitions. But at this point, all they are telling us is they're still investigating exactly who may have been responsible for that, Tom. And then, Kier, I also ask the foreign minister whether Iran is getting help for Russia and China, the only two allies who have really condemned the U.S. and Israeli attacks, major superpowers. Here's what he had to say.

Are your allies Russia and China helping you? Well, they are supporting us politically and otherwise. Are they supporting you militarily? Well, military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not a secret. We have worked with each other in the past, and that has continued. and will continue, I guess. And they are actively helping you in this war? Well, they have always helped us.

So, Kier, what do you make of that, right? If China and Russia are supporting in any sort of military fashion, Iran right now and its war against the U.S. and Israel? Yeah, I think Russia, potentially more than China militarily, Russia has a strategic agreement with Iran recently signed. that Iran has been helping Russia with those Iranian drones that it has been using in Ukraine. When it comes to China, China looks to Iran for supplies of oil, which of course passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

And I think that might be one of the explanations for why the Iranians are not openly saying that they are closing the Strait of Hormuz, because China wouldn't like that. Look out in the future, I think, for Iran trying to get to some kind of arrangement where they agree for Chinese vessels to pass through the strait there while they attack vessels from Europe or from or connected to the U.S., any of America's allies or partners. It is clear and certain that both Russia and China back Iran and they will help Iran in any way they feel they can in the years and months ahead.

You know, Richard, we've talked a lot in the two recent conflicts with the U.S. and Israel and Iran, how Iran would sort of telegraph both their attack and then telegraph that they were going to stop the attacks. From my conversations with the foreign minister, this was a much different sort of strategy. They said they are not stopping. They do not want to ceasefire. They are very much at war and welcoming any type of ground troops to hit them head on. I know there was posturing, obviously, from the foreign minister. But what was your take on some of the language that he was using? Well, I think he sounded quite measured in his conversation with you and in other interviews that he's done. The days of the 12-day war seem to have passed. We are talking about now an open conflict where the United States is openly calling on the people of Iran to rise up to overthrow the regime,

where President Trump says he wants to say in picking the country's new supreme leader, the proverbial gloves have come off. and to put a couple of finer points of what Gabe was telling you earlier and what Courtney was saying about that school, it would be very easy for the United States to know if it had not hit that school on purpose or by accident. Satellite maps show that it is right next to military bases. I remember here in Israel when there was a strike on a hospital in Shifa. Within minutes, the Israelis had looked at their satellite footage, and they quickly put out statements saying that it wasn't them.

The U.S. with so many satellites in the sky, with so many aircraft above, could easily verify that kind of information. And to what Gabe was saying, what is the endgame here? Where does this go? You talked about the last round of conflict with Iran. I'm thinking there are echoes to 2003 with Iraq. All of this talk about weapons of mass destruction, of an imminent threat, no clear justification for war, no clear endgame.

So there are a lot of parallels in history that I think are worth of examine. And on that topic, though, Richard, since you opened the door there, are you foreseen having covered so many of these conflicts that this is going to be much longer than maybe some people suspected, even maybe the U.S. that said three to four weeks? I mean, I know that goalpost keeps moving. I absolutely do. Unless there is some sort of ceasefire, you see the administration here, talking about fighting to the bitter end.

President Trump's statement today that he wants a role in selecting the future leader of Iran suggests that the United States and Israel want to turn Iran into some sort of colony or some sort of protectorate or an area that they control like was done to Venezuela recently. President Trump has talked very nostalgically about that mission in Venezuela and how the two countries now are doing business and how successful that this new partnership is. Iran is a different situation. It is much more analogous to Iraq. You have an old grievance that has suddenly come to a military conflict, an old personal grievance.

Secretary Hegesh talked often about the IEDs that Iran put in the road in Iraq. There seems to be a great desire for revenge here like there was in 2003 after the 9-11 attacks when the United States was looking for revenge after suffering. the greatest attack at the time since Pearl Harbor. Courtney, you know, the administration's reasoning for attacking Iran has evolved. There have been different answers given. And Iran has been very vague about its state of its nuclear materials. And I pressed the foreign minister on where that stands right now.

Let's take a listen. Is Iran's nuclear facilities secure right now? Is Iran's nuclear stock load right now? Is that secure as well? Well, our stockpally is under the rubbles. We have not touched them after the last June war. So, Cord, you heard their Iran saying, and again, we had a longer part of this interview where I pressed him about letting inspectors in and why they didn't let the inspectors in before.

But he's essentially saying that their nuclear program is under rubble and they have no idea, even if it's dangers, if it's leaking radiation right now. Yeah, and I mean, the nuclear program is really the big question in all of this right now. because we have heard the Trump administration say over and over that President Trump is not going to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. But no one will tell us exactly where they believe the uranium is, that stockpile, that is believed to potentially still be intact, buried underneath rubble, as the foreign minister said there. We've heard similar indications from the IAEA and others on that. But exactly what the U.S. military's intent with the nuclear program is still unclear. What we do know, we're on day six.

We have not seen the U.S. take any strikes or any action at all against the nuclear program as part of this war. Instead, they've been focused on the military, the conventional military, the ballistic missile program. Israel has been largely focused on the leadership here. And when we ask questions about whether the U.S. does intend to strike the nuclear facilities as part of this, the U.S. military simply won't answer. They said they don't want to get out ahead of where they're headed on this. Courtney, Gabe, Richard, and Keir, we thank you all for your great reporting and your perspective.

Still ahead tonight here on Top Story, our live report from Beirut. Thousands scrambling to evacuate as the war with Iran intensifies inside the race to escape deadly strikes. Plus, the mass shooting in Austin, chilling new footage of police taking down the gunmen, what we're learning tonight about a possible motive. And the emotional return for our dear colleague, Savannah, reuniting with her Today Show family for the first time since her mother went missing, those powerful moments and what she's saying about getting back on the air. Stay with us. We're back down with an update on that mass shooting in Austin.

Newly released body cam showing the moment police confronted then took down the gunman earlier this week. NBC's Priscilla Thompson has the latest and a warning. Some of what you're about to see is disturbing. This is the moment Austin police took down the gunman on a deadly rampage. Stop boarding! Stop boarding! The body cam released by the department today shows two different angles. Where is it? Where is it? Police frantically searching for the shooter.

Go! Everybody don't! And returning fire. Also released this chilling video showing the shooter in a downtown Austin parking lot with what investigators say is an AR-15 rifle. At one point, appearing to take aim. There are people dead over here. There have been multiple people shot. Three people were killed and 16 injured. Multiple sources say the gunman is 53.

three-year-old Eniaga Dianyaanye, who wore an Iranian flag shirt during the attack. The Department of Homeland Security says the Iranian flag was also found in his home. Police say the suspect's only other interaction with law enforcement was a 22 welfare check in New York, and that they are still investigating a motive and possible nexus to terrorism. We conducted two search warrants. You talk about the digital evidence and all the things that we have to do. We are not ready to talk about exactly what that nexus is. Tonight, the community remembering the victims, 19-year-old writer Harrington, 21-year-old Savitha Sean, and 30-year-old George Peterson, and praising the heroic officers who returned fire that day.

And Tom, the reason why we're seeing all of this material come out right now is because the investigation into the officer involved shooting here has now concluded with the Travis County District Attorney's Office saying that it is, quote, clear. and indisputable that these three officers who fired their guns and returned fire were reacting to someone who was unlawfully using deadly force. The Travis County District's Attorney's Office has said that these officers are heroes and that their actions that day undoubtedly prevented additional deaths and additional injuries. So they've said that they are not planning to file any charges. And so while the case and the investigation into that is now closed, there are still a lot of questions and a continuing investigation into the gunman's actions and again that possible motive with the investigation, of course, looking at those potential ties to terrorism. Tom?

All right, Priscilla Thompson for us tonight. Priscilla, we thank you. Coming up, more on the widening war with Iran. A closer look at the U.S. military maneuvers, the weapons now being used on the battlefield and what it could mean if more countries get dragged into this. We are back down with more on the war with Iran near Beirut tonight, Israel ordering residents to evacuate as it launches its offensive against Hezbollah. Lebanese families getting caught in standstill traffic trying to race to safety. NBC's Danielle Hamogen spoke with some of the people attempting to flee what they fear may turn into yet another endless round of violence.

Tonight, Beirut is a city on edge and on the moon. Residents fleeing a suburb of the capital that's been struck all week by Israel. Only now, it appears the IDF is about to... To intensify its bombing, warning hundreds of thousands of civilians. Evacuate your homes immediately. The target of those strikes, a Hezbollah stronghold. The IDF says it's hitting sites linked to the group, which is backed and funded by Iran. People have packed whatever belongings they have, their kids, everything in the car,

and they've left not knowing when they'll be able to go back to the suburb of Dakhya or what they will be able to go back to. Two. In a country so painfully familiar with war, they've seen this play out before. But this evacuation seems unprecedented in scale, covering not a few buildings, but entire neighborhoods. One man, his wife and four young children have fled a few miles north to safer ground. Like many families, they'll spend the night on the streets watching the strikes at a distance. It's happened time and time again, he told me. Tell me what you fear for your children.

I'm putting my faith only in God, he said. The Israeli finance minister today threatening to flatten that Beirut suburb as they did in Gaza. According to the country's health ministry, more than 120 people have been killed this week across Lebanon, among them children. And in one of Beirut's biggest hospitals, the ER is quiet for now. But they're preparing for and expecting mass casualties. What do you fear is going to happen in the next few days and weeks? We think that we'll have a greater number of patients. We'll have a great rush of wounded people.

And the fear is that big rush could come tonight. Danielle Hammamjian joins us now from Lebanon, and you and your team are just a few miles away from where those evacuations were ordered? Yeah, we are, Tom. And those strikes began just a few hours ago. and from our position here, we could hear them, we could see the fire. In fact, up until a few minutes ago, we could hear an Israeli drone above us.

Now, even those living outside the evacuation zone, they're expecting big explosions tonight. Some of them telling us they're leaving the windows open because they want to avoid any injuries in case of any broken glass. And so that suburb of Beirut called Dakhets right behind us over the bay. So we can feel it when the booms happen. We've counted three so far, so we are expecting a pretty long night here. But again, people bracing for big explosions. But listen, it's 2.30 in the morning here, and the bulk of those strikes have yet to hit. All right, Danielle, please stay safe.

Really great work by you and your photojournalist there in that report. For more analysis of this widening conflict, I want to bring in our NBC News military analysts. Retired Colonel Steve Warren. Colonel, so great to see you. We want to break down some of the recent videos we've seen from CENTCOM because they're really showing how they're flexing their firepower here. Talk to us about the types of weapons they're using and the targets are going after. Yeah, the American air power here is devastating and overwhelming. Here you see American forces striking Iranian mobile missile capabilities.

This is their mobile ballistic missiles. In fact, that one that you could see the flames spinning off to the bottom. That was the fuel from the missile cooking off, so a really good hit. Here we have Iranian air power being degraded. Most of their combat aircraft are already. already been destroyed. These are transports. And you can see this shot particular seems to come in the middle, but later you can see the flames sort of billow across and engulf the rest of the aircraft. And then Israel as well is releasing some video, and it's one of the first dog fights

we've seen in a long time in the air. I think the attack was on an Iranian yak-130. Israel is calling the moment historic. What makes it different from what we've seen before? Well, what's historic about it is this is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the most The F-35 is the most advanced aircraft on planet Earth. And this is the first time that aircraft has ever been in a dog fight. It was easy pickings, I think. This aircraft is unmatched anywhere else in the world. And the Yak-130, frankly, not a great area.

It didn't have a chance. It had no chance whatsoever. This is interesting. Why, you know, because we think about the movies that are obviously so famous, why aren't there a lot of, I mean, these aerial fights anymore that exist? Two things. Is it a thing of the past? Sure.

It's becoming a thing of the past, partly because of the dominance of, frankly, of Western fighters, partly because the distances have become so far. Most aerial combat now is missiles against missiles. This is unique because the F-35, which is a stealth aircraft, by the way, was able to get so close. We spoke last night about the U.S. considering arming the Kurdish fighters. We talked about this before it happened in Iraq as well. Today's Iran's foreign minister told me that country's prepared for a possible ground invasion. What does that coordination actually look like with the Kurds? So with the Kurds, right now, it's only talk, right?

And we have not begun to arm the Kurds. If that should come to pass, what will happen is a second front opened up against the Iranians. They will have to move resources and capabilities to meet that threat. Finally, you know, you heard the interview I had there with the foreign minister. He's claiming they're only attacking, you know, military targets in these 14, 15 other countries. We know that's not the case. What do you think Iran's strategy here? Do you think it is, as we've talked about before, to essentially make these other countries,

put pressure on the U.S. to stop attacking Iran because they don't want to be attacked anymore. That's part of it. The other part of it is, you know, the Iranians are looking to disrupt commerce, they're looking to affect markets, they're looking to do anything they can that will somehow pressure the Americans to back off. Where do you think the next phase goes from here? Well, I think the next phase, as, you know, as the secretary and the chairman of the joint chiefs have pointed out, now that we've reduced their air defense capabilities, we can now bring in our mass fighters or our mass bombers, right? The B-52 bomber, it's a little bit slower moving. It's not stealthy, but boy, it can carry a lot of bombs. So I would look for the Iranian industrial base.

Okay, we'll see what happens. Colonel, we thank you for that. Still ahead here on top story. Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez facing new pressure after admitting to having an affair with a staffer, could it cost him his reelection bid? Plus, the scary scene at a fishing dock, a man getting trapped in the freezing water, how officers rushed in to pull him to safety. That's next. We're back now with Top Stories News Feed. Two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its new global tariffs. In the lawsuit, a group of Democratic attorneys general and governors argue that President Trump is overstepping his power by proposing 15% tariffs on much of the world. The White House says the tariffs are key to reducing the U.S. trade deficit.

This after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs that the president imposed last year under an emergency power's law. On Capitol Hill, House Republican leaders are now calling on Congressman Tony Gonzalez to drop his re-election campaign. The Texas Republican is facing an ethics investigation after admitting to having an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide. Right now, Gonzalez is locked in a runoff race after failing to win a majority of the vote in Tuesday's primary elections. Brittany Spears has been released from jail after getting arrested in Southern California on suspicion of DUI. Multiple law enforcement sources tell NBC Los Angeles, She was pulled over after someone saw her driving erratically and that the arrest was related to alcohol and drugs. A representative for Spears called the incident completely inexcusable, saying the pop star would comply with the law as she gets the help and support she needs.

And a dramatic rescue caught on camera after a man fell into freezing water at a fishing dock. This is the body cam from police in Massachusetts. They say the man got stuck between two boats yesterday and couldn't get out of his own. You can see a group of officers grabbing onto him, eventually pulling him to safety. were told he was taking to a hospital for treatment. Okay, now to an important update on our dear friend Savannah Guthrie. Savannah was back in Studio 1A today thanking staff and crew for their support during the ongoing search for her mother.

She also shared an update about whether she'll return to today. This morning, an emotional return to the Today Show. For the first time since her mother was abducted 33 days ago, Savannah Guthrie stepped foot into Studio 1A, where she was. her Today's show family was waiting with open arms. She hugged every member of the staff and crew thanking them for the love, for the prayers, and for caring about my mom as much as I do. Going on to say, I wanted you to know that I'm still standing and I still have hope and I'm still me. And I don't know what version of me that will be, but it will be. Her colleagues, including her co-host,

lined up to show their love and support. Savannah telling the team, I'm holding on to my faith. I still believe. Dylan Dreyer led a group prayer, which began, we're here holding hands as a family in a place where we don't understand why this is happening. It is not too bold to ask God for the biggest miracles every day. As far as her return to the anchor desk, Savannah says, I have every intention of coming back. I don't know how to come back, but I don't know how to come back, know how not to. You're my family and I would like to try. Moments later, Jenna and Chanel talked about her visit on their show. She is beyond loved here. And so we're happy that she is home. I don't know when she's actually returning to the show, but she was here. And that felt so good.

She feels your prayers and your well wishes and all of it. And I think we just keep it going. Yeah. We just keep loving her. And we are thinking about Savannah and her family every single day. When we come Come back, a rare look at what life in Iran is like right now. With communications nearly cut off, we hear from a man about the situation on the streets in Tehran and what he says people there need for regime change to become a reality. An incredible interview. Stay with us. Back now with a rare look at life inside of Iran right now as the war rages on. Communication between Iranians and the rest of the world has been incredibly limited due to the ongoing strikes

and a government-imposed internet shutdown. But our Yasmin Vosuvians, who joins me now was able to speak with one man inside of Tehran about this critical moment for the nation. Yasmin, we heard a few exchanges from the man earlier in the broadcast. Walk us through and kind of peel back the curtain a little bit. This guy is incredibly brave to be talking to you because this is not happening right now. No, I mean, I especially in January, I was getting a lot of voice notes from Iranians on the ground telling me what was happening. Now everybody is so scared to talk to anybody to put their voice out there because of how they feel as if there will be retribution from the Iranian government. He asked me to distort his voice, to distort his image as well,

because he's afraid of the government coming for him amidst this incredibly sensitive time in this war. And so we did just that to make sure we could actually get his voice and his sentiment out there. And one of the things you asked this man was about the possibility of a regime change, right? I asked about the possibility of regime change if that is in fact something that they want, and if the Iranians have the capability and the tools to actually pull it off. Because we've talked a lot about the fact that the president and the prime minister have said, We are here for this air campaign. We don't know if there's going to be boots on the ground.

They haven't taken that off the table. But can the Iranians actually pull it off if that is their ultimate objective? Let's play. What do you have to say? We don't have the tools, but we have the capacity and we have the experience. But there are factors. One is we need to be armed. Second is we need air support.

Okay. Third is someone like Reza Pahlavi, which is trusted by Iranian inside and outside, especially inside. We can call the date, okay, but there needs to be air support because they will shoot us. There needs to be weapon drop inside Tehran. That's how it will happen because they are armed to teeth. They are having 50-caliber machine gun on top of the cars. We cannot do it with fist. Yeah, this is not going to be a peaceful takeover, at least from his perspective.

It's not a peaceful takeover, and it's a reflection of what you and I have talked about, which is Iranians want to know that there is a plan, and it's incredibly difficult to understand and feel as if there is a plan during this internet blackout, which, to them, it seems, as part of the government's plan, the current regime's plan, is to keep them out of communication with the rest of the world. But they want to see that there is something beyond this air support so that they have the tools and the capabilities to affect regime change. What did he tell you about daily life in Tehran right now?

Tehran is abandoned. Tehran is a metropolis. I've been there many times. I've reported there many times. It is a bustling city. There is no traffic, which is very odd for a place like Tehran. The people are completely gone. The stores are shuttered.

Nobody is coming out of their home. Nobody is going to work as well. People are terrified, aside from the people that are wanting to activate. They are remaining in the city. There are also checkpoints now set up inside the city of Tehran. Checkpoints that are where police, local police are checking people, checking in their cars, checking their identities, Basij, local police force as well, rolling around the city with these AK-47s, as he mentioned, to intimidate any Iranians that are left behind.

And then so what did he tell you about the strength and maybe the resilience of the Iranian people right now? You know, I asked him if, A, yes, do you have the capability? Can you carry it out? Is this something that Iranians are willing to stomach? Right. There is a possibility there could be mass casualties. We're already seeing almost a thousand people have been killed. What is it about Iranians that he feels as if they can survive this thing? Here's what he said. rich, we are unified, we want, you know, we care about art, we care about living, laughing, dancing, listening to music, you know, everything that's any human needs to just, you know, create meaning in their life, but they have, you know, made us to just suppress those feelings,

everything, when we dance, they suppress. We want to just, you know, sing a song, they oppressed. So it's enough is enough. Either, you know, freedom or death. Are you afraid of dying? Not anymore. Not anymore. Why? I'm above 30 years old, okay. I have experienced this regime. I have lost money, financial issue, issues with government, regime in music festivals on the street with my girlfriend. I've seen divorces, I've seen fathers committing suicides. I have seen people suffering. For me, it's like I don't care anymore that much about my life as long as it's meaningful.

And this is one of the ways that, like now I'm talking to you, this is one of the ways that I can make it meaningful. It doesn't get more real and or raw than that. And I mean, it's a sobering look at life in Iran right now for so many. It's a reflection of what I've been saying repeatedly over the last few days, which is Iranians feel like their backs are up against their wall. They have no other choice but to fight. But right now they feel like they're going to be left to fight with their fists. And they don't feel like they can do that, but they want to live for something.

It also is a reflection of the fact that they feel as if they've been living in essential imprisonment. You know, you cover this. you've lived this, you cover it both here and over there. Do you notice something different in this conversation? Is there something different about this? Because Iranians have been through this, as he points out, for decades. I mean, they feel like there's real hope. Right? I think that's what's different.

I mean, this has been, listen, we have covered the Arab Spring back in 2009. There have been so many instances in which Iranians have risen up. And then those protests, they have quelled those protests. and the regime has come out in force, and they have all gone back to their lives. They said to me, you know, blood has been shed. There is no turning back from this. And I sense that in this conversation

and the way in which he reflected on whether or not he was willing to sacrifice his life for that. Yasmin, we thank you for bringing us that interview here on Top Story. You can hear even more on NBC News' podcast. Here's the scoop available wherever you get your podcast. And we thank you for watching. watching Top Story Tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.