The president Donald Trump declared this Friday that the United States "will take control of Cuba almost immediately" once military operations against Iran are concluded, explicitly linking the fate of the island to the outcome of the conflict in the Middle East.
The statements were made during a private dinner at the Forum Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump clearly outlined his geopolitical priorities: "Let's finish this one first, I like to get the jobs done," he said in reference to Iran before turning his attention to Cuba.
Trump described a specific military scenario: after concluding operations in the Middle East, he would deploy the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln — which is currently leading operations against Iran — to about 100 meters off the coast of Cuba. According to the president, in response to that show of force, the Cubans would reply: “Thank you very much, we surrender.”
On the same day as the statements, Trump signed a new executive order imposing sanctions against Cuba titled "Imposition of Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and Threats to National Security and U.S. Foreign Policy."
The order freezes the assets of leaders, officials, executives of the Cuban regime, and individuals linked to human rights abuses, corruption, and repression, and extends its reach to foreign companies and banks with trade ties to Havana.
The measure expands Executive Order 14380, signed on January 29, 2026, which declared the Cuban government to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. Since then, the administration has imposed more than 240 new sanctions against the regime.
Among those who will see their assets frozen by Washington are officials, regime family members, and executives of Cuban state companies with international operations.
The backdrop is Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026 with a joint offensive between the United States and Israel. Since then, the U.S. has sunk nine Iranian warships, eliminated 48 high-ranking officials and the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and implemented a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz since April 13. Three U.S. aircraft carriers are operating simultaneously in the region, the first time this has happened since 2003.
Iran presented a new peace proposal on Friday, which Trump rejected, maintaining the blockade of Hormuz and showing no signs of an immediate halt to operations.
The Senate rejected a Democratic amendment on April 27 that aimed to limit possible military actions by Trump against Cuba, leaving the president with broad latitude in the Caribbean.
The pressure on the island has led to a severe energy crisis: the interception of at least seven tankers bound for Cuba and the ban on receiving Russian oil have resulted in power outages of up to 20-25 hours daily across the island, worsening the suffering of the population.
Cuba and the United States entered direct negotiations on April 20, during which Washington demands the release of political prisoners, an end to repression, and greater economic openness—conditions that the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel has not yet accepted.
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