US could strike Iran this weekend, envoy says

The United States could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, Tom Barrack said Friday in an interview as he visited the Gulf. The U.S. envoy said President Donald Trump remained open to a deal after months of talks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had repeatedly vowed to topple Iran’s clerical state. Barrack said the United States was not seeking regime change and warned that threats could bring consequences.

Barrack is the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and point man on Syria, but he does not have a direct role on Iran.

Trump had earlier said strikes would not happen before the U.S. congressional elections on November 3.

Netanyahu faces elections Tuesday and has made his threats following two major bombing campaigns against Iran since last year.

Barrack said the United States was not interested in regime change and questioned what would follow such a change.

Published Oct 24, 2026 3:34 am KST

Iranian missiles are displayed next to a banner with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 27. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters-Yonhap

JERUSALEM — The United States could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a U.S. envoy said Friday, after mounting threats by both Washington and Israel.

"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey 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 clerical state 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 U.S. congressional elections on November 3.

Barrack, in remarks that contradict Netanyahu, said the U.S. was not looking to topple the Islamic republic, a sworn enemy of the United States and Israel since a 1979 revolution toppled the pro-Western 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?"

美国特使汤姆·巴拉克周五在访问海湾地区期间接受采访时表示，美国最早可能在本周末对伊朗发动打击。巴拉克称，经过数月的谈判，特朗普总统仍然对达成协议持开放态度，而以色列总理内塔尼亚胡则多次誓言要推翻伊朗的神权政权。巴拉克强调，美国并不寻求政权更迭，并警告称，任何威胁都可能带来后果。

巴拉克是美国驻土耳其大使，也是叙利亚问题的关键人物，但他对伊朗问题没有直接发言权。

特朗普此前曾表示，在11月3日美国国会选举之前不会发生袭击事件。

内塔尼亚胡将于周二面临选举，此前他自去年以来对伊朗发动了两次大规模轰炸行动，并因此发出威胁。

巴拉克表示，美国对政权更迭不感兴趣，并质疑政权更迭之后会发生什么。

发布于2026年10月24日凌晨3:34（韩国标准时间）

9月27日，在伊朗首都德黑兰的一条街道上，伊朗导弹与印有伊朗最高领袖穆杰塔巴·哈梅内伊画像的横幅并排展示。图片来源：西亚通讯社（WANA），经路透社-韩联社发布

耶路撒冷——美国一位特使周五表示，在华盛顿和以色列不断发出威胁之后，美国最早可能在本周末对伊朗发动打击。

“本周末会发生袭击吗？绝对有可能，”美国驻土耳其大使兼叙利亚问题负责人汤姆·巴拉克（他并不直接参与伊朗事务）告诉播客主持人马里奥·纳夫尔。

巴拉克在访问海湾地区期间接受采访时表示：“唐纳德·特朗普总统的立场非常明确。他愿意达成协议，我们已经就此进行了数月之久的谈判。”

以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡将于周二面临选举，近日他多次誓言要推翻伊朗的神权国家政权。此前，自去年以来，伊朗遭受了两次大规模的轰炸袭击。

在外交僵局持续很久之后，特朗普也表示愿意恢复军事打击，尽管他此前曾表示，在11月3日美国国会选举之前不会进行军事打击。

巴拉克发表的言论与内塔尼亚胡的说法相矛盾，他表示美国并不打算推翻伊斯兰共和国。自 1979 年革命推翻亲西方的沙阿以来，伊斯兰共和国一直是美国和以色列的死敌。

“如果你们继续威胁世界、我们的盟友和海湾国家，将会付出代价。但代价不会是政权更迭，”巴拉克说道。

“美国——美国总统——已经表示他对政权更迭不感兴趣，”他补充道。

“政权更迭的问题始终在于，第二天会发生什么？”