US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Friday that the United States could launch military strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, warning that President Donald Trump is prepared to act if Tehran continues threatening American allies and international security.
Speaking in an interview with podcaster Mario Nawfal, Barrack emphasized that the possibility of imminent military action remained on the table, even as Washington continued seeking a diplomatic agreement with the Islamic Republic.
"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely. The President has been clear."
Barrack stressed that Trump remained willing to negotiate with Iran but would not allow diplomatic efforts to continue indefinitely without meaningful progress.
"I'm giving you American policy. The President is very clear. He's open and available and accessible to a deal."
The ambassador said months of negotiations had focused initially on eliminating the immediate threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, an objective he suggested had largely been achieved.
"And we've been at the table for months and months and months. Starting with what's clear is the elimination of the imminent threat of nuclear. I think we've established that."
According to Barrack, the remaining nuclear questions involve the future of uranium enrichment, preventing proliferation, and determining the duration of any agreement.
He explained that negotiations had considered different time frames for restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities, ranging from five to 20 years, and suggested that the sides were approaching an understanding on that issue.
However, the ambassador indicated that the nuclear question was only one component of a broader dispute involving Iran's regional activities, economic sanctions, and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Barrack said the negotiations also concerned the possibility of unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting sanctions, ending military confrontations, and ensuring continued American support for Israel.
Despite those efforts, Barrack suggested that reaching an agreement had become increasingly complicated by uncertainty over who could make binding decisions within Iran's leadership.
He pointed to the impact of American military operations against senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), arguing that the loss of key figures had complicated Tehran's decision-making structure.
The ambassador also acknowledged diplomatic efforts by Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman to facilitate negotiations.
Barrack distinguished between the Iranian people and the country's ruling military establishment, emphasizing that Trump respected Iran's history and civilization.
"President Trump has great respect for the Iranian civilization. It's 3,000 years old. It's some of the most amazing poetry, some of the most amazing art, some of the most amazing people."
He identified the IRGC, rather than the Iranian population, as the principal adversary of the United States.
"The adversary is the IRGC. Since 1979, this harsh entity that was created that's at odds with Israel and at odds with us. The Iranian people themselves are not, can't be in this fabric."
Barrack also clarified that Washington's objective was not to overthrow Iran's government.
"The consequence won't be regime change. The United States, the president of the United States has said he's not interested in regime change. He's interested in rebalancing so that there's no hostages, there's no threats, and the world can calm down and ensure of what's there."
He explained that attempts to replace governments frequently create uncertainty about what follows, particularly when there is no clear plan for maintaining stability.
Instead, the administration seeks an arrangement that would eliminate nuclear threats, curb Iran's activities through regional armed groups, and reduce tensions with neighboring countries.
Barrack compared Iran's regional network to a hand with five fingers, identifying Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq among the organizations through which Tehran exerts influence.
He said ending those activities was a central American demand, alongside protecting Israel and other regional partners.
Nawfal cited Trump's recent remarks suggesting that a decision on Iran could come sooner than many observers expected, despite widespread speculation that additional strikes would be delayed until after the November midterm elections.
Barrack did not confirm that a decision to attack had been made. However, he emphasized that Trump's warnings should be taken seriously.
"So one thing I know for sure is the president doesn't make idle threats. He just doesn't."
The ambassador said the President's decisions were informed by intelligence and developments that were not necessarily available to the public, explaining why American policy might appear to shift from one day to the next.
"It's on and off because he has more information than all of us. And he's making intelligent decisions, heartful decisions on a day-by-day basis. But if the world is starting to be choked, and it seems that there's not a parallel path, I think that we can be certain that he will do what he said."
Trump was later on Friday asked by a reporter about Barrack’s comments and replied, “[Barrack] is a pretty powerful man, I guess. If that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it."
He subsequently spoke at a rally in Florida and said, “We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or they will agree. If they're smart, they will just say, ‘Let's get down to business.’ But I doubt they will do that because perhaps they're not smart.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)