After Iran, Will This Country Be the US's Next Target?

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The United States military strike, carried out in coordination with Israel, against Iran has sparked fresh speculation about the direction of Washington’s foreign policy. Amid the escalating conflict, Cuba is seen as a potential next target of US pressure.

The speculation emerged after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham openly named Cuba as the country likely to become the focus next after Iran.

‘Cuba next. They will follow in the footsteps of a communist dictatorship in Cuba. Their days are numbered,’ Graham said in an interview with Fox News, as quoted on Friday (6 March 2026).

The statement came after the US and Israel launched a major strike against Iran on 28 February 2026 in a military operation targeting strategic facilities and the country’s leadership. The attack triggered a broader regional conflict in the Middle East and provoked a military response from Iran.

In this context, Cuba faces increasing economic pressure. Washington had previously imposed an oil blockade on the island nation led by the communist government, a move that exacerbated Havana’s energy and economic crisis.

Pressure intensified after Cuba’s principal ally, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was detained in a US military operation earlier this year. Venezuela has long been a major oil supplier to Cuba.

Senior Latin American security researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, Carlos Solar, assessed that the situation leaves Cuba with two strategic partners lost at the same time.

‘Cuba loses support from Venezuela and Iran at a moment of maximum pressure from the US administration,’ Solar said.

However, he noted that it remains unclear how Washington will compel regime change in Havana. ‘What is unclear is how the US will topple the Cuban regime or force Havana to surrender,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Nottingham, Par Kumaraswami, said global geopolitical tensions are actually increasing anxiety within Cuba.

‘Cubans are increasingly worried about how they will survive amid such global upheaval, and the recent violence against Iran will not lessen their concerns,’ Kumaraswami said.

Amid the pressure, the Cuban government has called for an end to the conflict in the Middle East and strongly condemned the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran.