June 13, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode

Two longtime adversaries in the Middle East are at war. Massive explosions from an onslaught of Iranian missiles rocked Israel on Friday. The U.S. says it's helping to intercept those missiles, which are retaliation for preemptive Israeli strikes that killed top military officers and targeted Iran's nuclear facilities. Amna Nawaz reports.

Since his first term, President Trump has dreamed of a grand military parade. Saturday, it will finally take place. The occasion is the Army’s 250th birthday and also Trump’s birthday. The multi-million dollar parade promises to feature a dazzling display of military might, but it’s been plagued by concerns about the cost and the political optics. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Dan Lamonthe.

President Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions against Mexico this year, claiming the country violated a treaty and is stealing water from Texas farmers. It's part of a dispute over shared water in the Rio Grande River and its tributaries. A fight exacerbated by higher temperatures and a greater demand for water. Stephanie Sy reports for our series on the impact of climate change, Tipping Point.

In our news wrap Friday, Marines are on the streets of Los Angeles amid demonstrations against ICE deportations, a federal judge in Massachusetts blocked part of President Trump's executive order aimed at overhauling elections, Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to federal charges of human smuggling and the head of the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery is stepping down.

Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and National Review editor Ramesh Ponnuru join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including Israel's attack and Iran's response has Washington and the rest of the world concerned about war between the two regional powers and the Trump administration's response to protests against immigration raids.

For a perspective on the conflict between Israel and Iran, Geoff Bennett spoke with Wendy Sherman, the lead negotiator for the nuclear agreement with Iran during the Obama administration, and Vali Nasr, author of “Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History.”

Israel's brazen attack and Iran's unprecedented response have world leaders concerned that the fighting will only escalate. To discuss Israel's goals and what comes next, Amna Nawaz spoke with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter.