October 25, 2026
US President Donald Trump sparked a state of controversy and disagreement in official positions, after he responded with sarcasm to statements by his envoy, Tom Barrack, in which he hinted at the possibility of launching a US military strike against Iran during the weekend, stressing at the same time that he knew nothing about such plans.
Barak, who holds the position of US ambassador to Turkey and is in charge of the Syrian file without a direct role in the Iranian file, answered with one word, “Certainly,” when journalist Mario Novel asked him whether the United States might launch an imminent attack against Tehran at the end of the week.
In response to this, Trump said, surprising observers: “This is my ambassador to Turkey. He seems to be a very strong man,” adding: “If that is the case, I know nothing about him.” This response implicitly cast doubt on Barak’s authority to talk about military timing, without representing a categorical denial of the possibility of carrying out a strike.
Trump did not stop there, as he returned during an election rally in Florida to hint at the military option, saying: “We may carry out another small, epic fury operation,” in reference to the previous operation against Iran, and without providing additional details about the timing or size. Trump had previously asked whether Washington wanted to “eliminate him completely or let him wither?”, after previously indicating the exclusion of carrying out any attack before the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November 3, stressing Washington’s ability to make a quick decision.
On a parallel line, another discrepancy emerged in the declared goals between Washington and Tel Aviv. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his threats to overthrow the Iranian regime, Barak stressed that the United States does not seek regime change in Tehran. Barak explained that Trump is still open to a diplomatic solution, warning at the same time of the consequences of Iran continuing to threaten Washington, its allies, and the Gulf states, and referring to the dilemma of regime change by saying: “The problem with regime change is always: What will happen the next day?”
In the same regional context, during his rally in Florida, Trump expanded his threats to include Cuba, stressing that his country will deal with it after the Iranian file is completed, and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will complete the agreement in this regard.
Thus, the scene remains governed by ambiguity and discrepancy between Ambassador Barak’s statements, which opened the door to a possible strike, and Trump’s responses, which cast doubt on them and left the military option open without official confirmation of its date or nature, amid a clear discrepancy in defining the boundaries and objectives of the confrontation with Tehran.
