on this sunday night, nuclear deal. a historic agreement is reached with iran that president obama says will make the world more secure. >> for the first time in nearly a decade we have halted the progress of the iranian nuclear program. also the fallout as others in the region question whether iran will live up to its end of the bargain. massive storms, snow and ice take a deadly toll in the southwest. tonight it is on the move and threatening to disrupt holiday traffic for tens of millions. tis the season to shop. as retailers lure you in earlier and earlier, are the deepest discounts yet to come? and special bond. the young boy with autism and his dog. how they rescued each other and are making a difference with their message.

>> good evening. with an historic multinational agreement, the united states and iran today stepped away from the edge after a long and dangerous game of brinkmanship over iran's nuclear ambitions. tonight not everyone is feeling safer or breathing easier. the deal announce in the geneva early sunday requires iran to halt the production of high grade uranium. the stuff essential to making a nuclear weapon in exchange for the easing of nuclear sanctions. while supporters of the deal say it removes the threat of armed conflict in the region, there are some pretty loud and influential voices from washington to the middle east that are calling this agreement an historic mistake. our team is in place to cover all sides. we begin with our chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell. good evening. >> good evening. the administration hopes this is

a landmark agreement that will lead to a more sweeping deal six months from now but it is already being criticized by israel and saudi arabia along with some of the president's closest allies on capitol hill. the secretary of state arriving in london today only hours after round-the-clock talks finally produced a deal between the world powers and iran. at 3:00 in the morning in geneva. >> now really hard part begins. that is the effort to get the comprehensive agreement which will require enormous steps in terms of verification, transparency, and accountability. >> reporter: after being briefed, the president, in an unusual late saturday night speech, defended testing iran's intentions. >> the bur is on iran to prove to the world that its nuclear program will be exclusively for peaceful purposes. >> reporter: the agreement freezes iran's nuclear program for six months and rolls it back in key areas. iran can still enrich uranium but at levels well below what would be needed to produce a

weapon. iran would reduce its highly enriched stockpile, stopping centrifuges, stop building a plutonium reactionor and allow daily inspections. in return the white house gets what it calls modest sanctions releex $6 to $7 billion from some of its accounts. the sanctions barring iran from international banking and the embargo on its oil exports continue for now but the agreement has united arab states like saudi arabia and israel who say iran cnot be trusted. prime minister netanyahu condemned the deal. >> this agreement has made the world a much more dangerous place. >> reporter: president obama called netanyahu today but the two leaders disagree on the threat and the goal. obama pledges to stop iran from getting a nuclear weapon. netanyahu wants to stop iran from even having the capability to produce one and many in congress agree with israel. >> we're accepting a signal to iran that they can continue to

go ahead and by talking and acting like they have good will, can get away with at least nuclear weapon production capability. >> reporter: the geneva agreement came together only two months after president obama first talked to iran's president rouhani on the phone. but in fact top u.s. officials have been meeting secretly with iran for a year in the persian gulf country of oman laying the groundwork. >> if this interim deal does ultimately translate into a comprehensive deal that eliminates the iranian nuclear program to the middle east, that's an enormous victory for america's global victory. >> reporter: president obama tried to reassure israel's leader that he will be consulted on every aspect of any final deal with iran but israel's worry is that the president is too eager for an agreement and not driving a hard enough bargain with tehran. >> thank you. now more on the deal from iran's perspective.

on the streets of tehran today, celebrations. people waved flags and flowers and cheered the chief negotiator as an ambassador of peace. after the agreement was announced, ann curry spoke exclusively with the iranian foreign minister and joins us from geneva tonight. >> reporter: good evening. nuclear negotiations just don't get any more dramatic than this. it was the end of four days of grueling negotiations. iran agreed to roll back its nuclear program. the six other nations to relax some sanctions. the negotiators were exhausted and very aware that the ambiguous wording that got them to this moment would trigger fallout. john kerry's take on the right to enrich uranium. >> this first step, let me be clear, this first step does not say that iran has a right to enrichment. no matter what interpretive

comments are made, it is not in this document. >> reporter: but listen to iran's foreign minister in our exclusive interview. do you dispute that in. >> it doesn't say in so many words but it says very clearly that iran will have an enrichment program and it has a right to technology for peaceful purposes. >> reporter: another sticking point, the heavy water plant that could someday produce plutonium for bombs. >> it is a program that is there. we will not and paneled it but it is a program that will continue. >> reporter: construction would continue. if congress imposes new sanctions, what will iran's reaction be? >> if there are new sanctions, there is no deed. end of the deed because of inability of one party to maintain its side of the bargain. >> reporter: end of the first step deal and all hopes for a final comprehensive agreement? >> well, i can only say that any

new sanctions will be the end of the deal. >> reporter: congress has said it will take up sanctions in early december. if what they are calling a first step deal has been painful, there is one thing the u.s. and iran clearly agree on. and that is, negotiations toward a final agreement will be brutal. lester? >> ann curry tonight in general even. a let's bring in chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd. are there any obstacles preventing the president from signing this deal? >> not actual obstacles but there are plenty of political obstacles. he will you go there with this deal and you heard plenty of lawmakers this morning, all through sunday shows, even ones very critical of this deal say, well, the deal has been made. there is not a lot that can be done for now. here's the way to look at it. congress is giving the president a very short leash. any iota of something that makes it look like iran is not doing what is supposed to be done in this deal and you will see new sanctions bill.

you will see pressure from capitol hill like we haven't seen before. remember, support for israel is bipartisan on capitol hill. israel has a very powerful constituency on capitol hill so if there is any movement here that iran doesn't look like they're doing this deal, the political pressure on the president to back out will be tremendous. >> all right. chuck todd of the white house tonight. thank you. another major story we're following. a massive wintery storm blamed for at least 13 deaths in the northwest. the storm is expected to push east. we're getting messy travel on one of the busiest travel days of the year. >> reporter: in the southwest tonight, wicked winter weather that's dangerous and on the move. the powerful storm blanketing several states with heavy snow, steady rain, debilitating ice and high winds. in texas, icy roads turned i-20 near dallas into a skating rink.

three killed here, 13 across the region. at dfw, more than 300 flights canceled. >> reporter: after hundreds of crashes to the west, dallas was ready as the storm moved in. 30 trucks dumped sand on city streets. >> reporter: the commute in oklahoma just as treacherous. too many spinouts and rollovers to tally. overnight, driving snow blinded much of the state. outside oklahoma city, 13 inches and counting. today in new mexico, frigid temperatures snapped power lines. the frozen interstate as 39 million americans are set to travel for the thanksgiving holiday. >> it is hard to keep control of your car. especially if you go under the bridges and stuff it whims you. >> reporter: this nordic outbreak, first claiming lives on thursday, hammered california with whipping winds. this weekend, the weather still fanning a blaze north of san francisco.

from fire in california to snow in arizona. >> this is a weird storm. nobody has really been able to get a handle on it. >> reporter: even the nevada desert touted 15 inches of powder. >> we've had almost as much water content out of this one storm as we did most of last winter. >> reporter: the arctic blast is punishing the texas panhandle and it appears the east coast is next. miguel almaguer, los angeles. weather channel meteorologist kim cunning hax is tracking the store. what can we expect? >> it will be a mess. we're talking about this storm moving east and we'll look at the east coast. travelers, we want you to be aware of the situation. have alternate plans just in case. let's show you the radar. we're looking at some light precipitation where you see the pink, it is indicating a little sleet. maybe a little light, freezing rain trying to work its way to the ground. still very dry in that area. we expect that to and paneled. if you're in dallas overnight, we're expecting more freezing

conditions. temperatures dropping in the 20s. we could see accumulating, maybe sleet. maybe a little freezing rain. your morning commute will be treacherous and likely to see freezing rain as well. anywhere in the purple, that's where travel will be a mess. we'll move east with this. in the southeast, we're too warm. we'll see an all rain event. watch what happens. tuesday during the afternoon hours, very heavy rain. three to five inches of rain across the southeast. this moves toward the mid-atlantic. did you notice all the blue that we're seeing? all the way through wednesday morning. that is snow. so we're going to start to see the snow pick up in the interior northeast, starting tomorrow. into wednesday during the afternoon hours. where the low is very critical, it is inland a little bit. that's good news for the megalopolis. it will be a warm event. meaning initially we'll start with all rain. it will cause some major travel problems at the airports but we'll see this. heavy snow interior sections. some of us could see up to ten inches of snow.

>> we have been forewarned. thank you. now to afghanistan where hamid karzai stunned the u.s. and many officials by refusing to sign the security agreement reached with the u.s. that could keep thousands of american troops there for another decade or more. president karzai said he won't sign the agreement until after presidential elections in april. meantime, american troops still struggle to cope with the day to day realities in afghanistan. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel spent the last several days with the tenth mountain division and reports from forward operating base gamberi. >> reporter: it helps to be at a few thousand feet to appreciate how hard it has been to fight in gans. 12 years in these mountains. osama bin laden once had a house down there not far from tora bora. but times have changed. lieutenant colonel al boyer,

tenth mountain division, is part of the new mission. he is an experientialed war man. seven deployments in iraq and here. today he is a diplomat of sorts visiting the afghan general. relations are more important than ever because afghans do most of the fighting now. but americans have been killed in meetings like this so u.s. troops need armed escorts. guardian angels like staff sergeant travis drudge from wa dbush, indiana. >> if they're not trustworthy, that he stay on guard. >> reporter: with a young son and a taught on the way, he is more cautious now than other deployments. >> you think more about your family, the wife, the kids, than just yourself. >> reporter: but most american troops don't leave their bases much anymore. they're trainers. the question is, how much longer will u.s. troops be doing this expensive mentoring mission?

we asked afghan general waziri, a division commander in charge of 20,000 men. after welcoming with us the gift of a robe. he would not set a time limit because he still wants u.s. helicopters, satellites and money. lieutenant colonel boyer says more deployments may be needed to keep afghanistan stable. 12 years is a long time to be in afghanistan. we're looking at the prospect of more years to come. how do you explain that to the american people who aren't necessarily convinced we still need to be here? >> right. the thing i explained to the american public, staying the course for the long haul is the way we get a return on our investment. the way we ensure that al qaeda can never come back to afghanistan. >> reporter: american troops in limbo on a training mission that no one here knows how long will last. nbc news, eastern afghanistan. still ahead on nightly news, this sunday retailers try to

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as nbc's reporter tells us, that's too long to wait. >> reporter: on chicago's state street, it is already beginning to look a lot like christmas. >> i love christmas like the earlier the better. >> reporter: for some, it can be too early. >> i don't shop on thanksgiving. i dedicate that to family. >> reporter: so you're more interested in the turkey dinner than in bargain hunting. >> would be absolutely right. >> reporter: others say there is room for both. >> it doesn't bother me. i shop every day any way. >> reporter: this year holiday bargains are starting earlier than ever. can't sleep? most walmarts are open 24 hours. early risers can start bargain hunting at kmart at 6:00 a.m. or wait until after breakfast. most old navy stores open at 9:00 a.m. want to finish dinner? toys "r" us opens at 5:00 al, best buy at 6:00, and macy's,

target and sears open at 8:00. >> idea is to get the consumer involve in the shopping process as early as possible. the retailers are worried they may run out of money. >> reporter: the survey pound people are planning to spend a drop of 2% from last year. analysts say thanksgiving shoppers would otherwise be hitting the stores on black friday. about 1 million walmart employees will be working thanksgiving to soften the blow, the retailer will pay them time and a half, provide them a hot turkey dinner during their shifts and give them a 25% discount on purchases. >> the retailers are trying to make it worth it for the employees. they know the employees are also giving up something that is very precious to them. >> reporter: shoppers who skip the early hoopla may not be missing the best deals. there will likely be more deep discounts just before christmas.

nbc news, chicago. up next tonight, the olympic torch takes the plunge.

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don't wait to ask your doctor about spiriva. these amazing pictures are from the latest turn in the longest olympic torch relay ever. a diver carrying the torch plunged into the world's largest fresh water body. russia's lake in siberia en route to the sochi olympics in february. the torch had already visited the north pole and the international space station. a gun belonging to iconic sharpshooter annie oakley was auctioned off today in dallas. the 16 gauge shotgun sold for $293,000. almost three time what was expected. it was used by oakley in the

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finally, the family dog that's making a difference in the life of a young boy with autism. with a bond they have formed, 8-year-old johnny has been able to make remarkable progress and his dog has been honored with an award at a special ceremony. now latest on the story we first told but back in april. >> reporter: it is hard to believe just over a year ago this vibrant pup was found by rescue workers and given less than a 1% chance to survive. and now xena the warrior puppy, as she is affectionately known around the world was just named the aspca's dog of the year. a title given to animal that have made an extraordinary difference in people's lives. >> we have laughter in our home where it used to be silent before. >> reporter: they will never forget day they adopted xena and

brought her home. what transpired next she calls a true miracle. the immediate and incredible bond between xena and her 8-year-old son johnny who has autism. >> i just knew that out of all the money that i spent on therapy, that she is standing right there in my family room, was the best therapy money could buy. >> reporter: once closed off and isolated, johnny is much more engaged and so happy to have his best friend by his side. 8 months ago, johnny wonderful even touch food. now he hems prepare xena's daily meals. on this day, another milestone. johnny gave his first interview. >> how are you? can i have a hug? you're in new york city! how great is that? >> hi! >> reporter: the story has now been shared in 95 countries. and together, they're spreading the words about autism awareness

and kindness to animals. >> from saved to savior, who rescued who? it almost seemed like words aren't enough. >> reporter: the journey has been unbelievable. it is overwhelming. it's definitely an overwhelming emotional ride. jill rappaport, nbc news, new york. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian william will be here tomorrow. coming up next, football night in america, followed by the new england patriots versus the denver broncos. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night.

on a windy and truly frigid night in new englandwe are about 30 miles south of boston at gillette stadium in foxborough, where about 90 minutes from now, the two best quarterbacks of their generation and two of the best teams in football this year will square off on sunday night football. tom brady has the edge on peyton manning head to head. the pats are 9-4 overall against manning's colts and broncos teams and that includes wins in their last two matchups and