Trump signals he will strike Cuba as soon as the Iran war ends
President of the United States, Donald Trump, has renewed his threat to topple the Cuban government. He indicated that a US military operation in the Caribbean nation could occur after his administration completes its war with Iran.
The statements, as reported by Al Jazeera and CNBC on Friday (6 March 2026), were made by Trump at the White House on Thursday (5 March) during a visit by Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer champions of 2025.
Trump thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom he said had done a ‘fantastic job’ in Cuba, where the US government has tightened sanctions aimed at squeezing the island’s economy.
‘The situation in Cuba is truly remarkable,’ the President said.
‘We thought we would like to finish this (the Iran war) first, but it is only a matter of time before you and many wonderful people will be back in Cuba,’ Trump told a crowd largely composed of Miami residents and Cuban descendants.
The remarks indicate that Trump, less than a week after escalating military clashes in the Middle East, is weighing other significant foreign policy moves.
Trump and his allies have frequently threatened Havana, intensifying economic pressure with the aim of ousting the communist government of Cuba.
The hint about Cuba came after he boasted of the war in Iran, claiming the US and Israel continue to ‘completely destroy’ the enemy.
Following the ousting and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a US military operation in January, Trump stated that oil supplies from that country to Cuba would be completely cut off. Venezuelan oil supplies have been a crucial economic lifeline for Cuba, which has faced a string of heavy US sanctions.
Trump has used the threat of overwhelming military force to advance his priorities worldwide, including in Latin America, where he previously described Cuba as appearing ‘ready to fall’ in the near future.
The deployment of US military force in the raid on Venezuela, which killed dozens, and against drug-smuggling ships in Latin America, has been regarded as illegal under international law. However, Trump has shown indifference to such constraints.
‘We have achieved tremendous success in many respects. I have rebuilt the military and rebuilt it during my first term, and we have used it, more than I would like to admit, but when we use it, we find that it does indeed work,’ he said, speaking on US military interventions around the world.