Trump disputes weekend suggestion
US President Donald Trump denied a statement by envoy Tom Barrack about the possibility of an American strike on Iran this weekend, TASS reported. Trump was asked about Barrack’s remarks by journalists when he arrived in Florida. The report did not identify any confirmed decision to launch an attack.
The denial contrasted with reporting from Milliyet that Trump had said the United States might conduct another attack on Iran. That statement expressed a possibility rather than confirming that an operation had been approved, scheduled or carried out.
Barrack raises possibility while citing diplomacy
Barrack, identified by Baghdad Today as the US special envoy for Iraq and Syria, said in an interview on Friday, October 23, 2026, that an attack during the weekend was possible. Digi24 also reported his suggestion that the United States could strike Iran during the weekend.
According to Baghdad Today, Barrack also said Trump continued to leave open the possibility of negotiations and an agreement, and that US diplomatic efforts were continuing. Those comments and the subsequent presidential denial represent conflicting public messages, not confirmation of imminent US military action.
Cumulative toll in Iran
For broader conflict context, Iranian national authorities had reported 3,375 people killed and 33,806 injured nationwide in Iran from February 28, 2026, according to figures published by the World Health Organization. The WHO report does not supply a precise cutoff for the country totals and says the figures have been carried forward, with updated cumulative deaths and injuries after June not reported. Civilian and military casualties are not separated, and the totals should not be read as casualties from this weekend’s statements or any newly confirmed incident.