Ankara, Turkiye: US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of a possible fresh military strike, saying Washington could launch “another little Epic Fury” if Tehran fails to reach a diplomatic agreement. The warning came hours after US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said a US strike on Iran could take place this weekend.
Barrack, who also serves as Trump's special envoy, made the remarks in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal on Friday. He said Trump remained open to a deal with Tehran but warned that continued threats against the United States, its allies, and Gulf countries would have consequences.
“Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely,” Barrack said.
His comments came amid diplomatic efforts by regional countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran.
“The president has been clear. I'm giving you American policy. The president 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.
He added that the immediate nuclear threat had been addressed, while nuclear proliferation and uranium enrichment remained issues in the negotiations. Barrack also cited the Strait of Hormuz as another point of contention, alongside discussions on unfreezing Iranian assets, sanctions relief, ending military engagement and US commitments towards Israel.
“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 are no hostages, there are no threats, and the world can calm down,” he said.
Barrack distinguished between the Iranian people and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), describing the latter as the adversary of the United States and Israel. He said Washington wanted to pursue a peaceful process but questioned whom it could engage with in negotiations.
“So I think it's open for dialogue. The problem is with whom is the dialogue?” Barrack said.
Hours later, upon arriving in Florida, Trump appeared to distance himself from the possibility of an immediate strike when asked about Barrack's remarks, saying he was unaware of the warning.
“Your ambassador said: absolutely, there could be a strike on Iran this weekend,” a reporter asked.
“That was my ambassador? He's a pretty powerful man, I guess. If that's the case, I don't know anything about,” Trump replied.
However, the president later adopted a more combative tone at an election rally in Florida, warning Tehran of further military action if diplomatic efforts failed.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree,” Trump told the cheering crowd, suggesting that Washington could launch another strike if negotiations faltered.
“If they're smart, they'll just say, 'Let's get down to business.' But, you know, I doubt they'll do that because perhaps they're not smart,” he added.
With the US midterm elections scheduled for the first week of November, analysts believe tensions in West Asia could escalate as Washington and Tehran continue to harden their positions.