US envoy suggests Iran strikes possible this weekend, Trump says he's unaware

US envoy suggests Iran strikes possible this weekend, Trump says he's unaware

US ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack says Washington could ‘absolutely’ strike Iran within days, as president says he knows nothing about it

Esra Tekin

23 October 2026•Update: 23 October 2026

ISTANBUL

US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said the US could “absolutely” strike Iran as soon as this weekend, but President Donald Trump said on Friday he knew nothing about the possibility raised by his envoy.

“Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely,” Barrack, who also serves as US special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, said in an interview, clips of which circulated online Friday.

Asked by reporters about Barrack’s remarks and whether he had reversed his position on holding off on possible strikes until after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Trump appeared surprised.

“That was my ambassador?” Trump asked.

“He’s a pretty powerful man, I guess. Well if that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it,” he added.

Barrack also outlined the Trump administration’s approach toward Iran, saying the objective was not regime change but a broader effort to reduce regional and international security threats.

“The consequence won’t be regime change. The president is interested in rebalancing so that there’s no hostages, no threats, and the world can calm down,” Barrack said.

He added that Trump remained open to reaching an agreement with Tehran while maintaining clear expectations for a potential deal.

Trump is “open and available and accessible to a deal, but he’s also been very clear about what he wants,” Barrack said.