ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A US envoy said Friday that Washington could launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, even as international efforts to revive diplomacy continue amid escalating threats of military action against Tehran.
“Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely. The President has been clear. I'm giving you American policy,” United States Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack said in an interview with podcast host Mario Nawfal, adding that US 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.”
The warnings come amid growing speculation about a renewed US-Israeli campaign against Iran, following a six-week war that began in late February and heightened maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“You call me and I want to do something on a peaceful basis. I want to create a process that eventually brings the temperatures down. But if we don't and if you keep threatening the world, our allies, the Gulf, there will be a consequence,” Barrack added.
He noted that the consequence will not be a regime change, stating that the US President is interested in rebalancing the region to ensure there are “no hostages” and “no threats.”
His remarks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to topple Iran’s regime ahead of Tuesday’s elections, while Trump has signaled openness to renewed strikes amid a diplomatic deadlock, despite previously ruling out attacks before the November 3 US congressional elections.
Following Barrack’s remarks, Trump was asked upon arriving in Florida about the ambassador’s suggestion that a strike on Iran could “absolutely” happen this weekend.
“That was my ambassador ... He's a pretty powerful man, I guess. Well, if that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned against further escalation during a press conference in Istanbul on Friday following meetings with counterparts from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
"We decided to convey this message to all parties equally. We agree that a renewed attack, especially against Iran, would truly lead to a resurgence of war and conflict in the region," Fidan stated.
"A military intervention against Iran is by no means a solution," he added. "No one approves of this right now. Turkey already held the view that diplomacy is the best way, and that view is now shared and defended by other countries."
The diplomatic push follows a report by Axios on Wednesday indicating that dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft flew close to the Iranian border over Syria and Iraq in a long-range military exercise and show of force.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported Friday that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Political Deputy General Yadollah Javani warned that any foreign troops entering Iranian territory would face deadly consequences.
"If the enemy makes such an error, Iran will turn into a killing ground for invading foreign troops, regardless of which route they choose to enter the country,"Javani said.
The military posturing aligns with escalating rhetoric from Trump, who on Thursday accused Iran of fabricating reports of attacks on commercial vessels to manipulate global energy markets.
"Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election," Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform, adding that Tehran is "making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict.”
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that its reinstated naval blockade against Iranian ports had reached its 100th day, a measure Washington claims has prevented Tehran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil.
However, the IRGC issued a stern threat regarding the ongoing US military presence in the region on Thursday, stating that "the aggressive US military must know that if this trend continues, the scope of confrontation will expand to include their aggressor bases in the region," describing the message as a “serious warning.”
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