A U.S. envoy warned Friday that Washington could launch military strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, raising fears of a renewed confrontation amid escalating threats from the U.S. and Israel.
"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and point man on Syria who does not have a direct role on Iran, told podcast host Mario Nawfal.
President Donald Trump "is very clear. He's open and available and accessible to a deal and we've been at the table for months and months and months," Barrack said in an interview as he visited the Gulf.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections Tuesday, has in recent days repeatedly vowed to topple the regime in Iran, following two major bombing campaigns against it since last year.
Trump has also signalled an openness to resuming strikes after a long deadlock in diplomacy, although he earlier said it would not happen before US congressional elections on November 3.
Barrack, in remarks that contradict Netanyahu, said the U.S. was not looking to topple the regime, a sworn enemy of the United States and Israel since a 1979 revolution toppled the shah.
"If you keep threatening the world, our allies, the Gulf, there will be a consequence. The consequence won't be regime change," Barrack said.
"The United States -- the president of the United States -- has said he's not interested in regime change," he added.
"The problem with regime change always is, what's the day-two scenario?"