Trump signals Cuba could be his next target

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said "Cuba is next" during a speech. (Photo/Reuters)

In a recent development at the Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia, United States President Donald Trump alluded to the possibility of future military action against Cuba, drawing parallels to recent operations in Iran and Venezuela. While the President attempted to walk back the statement shortly thereafter, the comments have prompted significant concern from the Cuban government. Havana has responded by emphasizing its state of readiness for potential aggression, questioning the justification for such hostilties. Simultaneously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained a confrontational stance, citing the Cuban government's inability to manage domestic crises, including widespread power outages and economic instability, as evidence that structural change is required. This exchange underscores the enduring, adversarial nature of US-Cuba relations, which have remained strained for over six decades.

President Trump suggested Cuba as a potential target for US military intervention, though he quickly requested the media disregard the remark.
Cuban officials have confirmed that their military is preparing for the possibility of external aggression following the President's comments.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the failure of the Cuban government to resolve ongoing infrastructure and economic crises.
The diplomatic relationship between Washington and Havana remains deeply volatile after 65 years of hostility.

US President Donald Trump has said that Cuba could be a future target of US action after Iran.

Trump pointed to what he described as the success of recent US military operations in Venezuela and Iran.

"I built this great military. I said, 'You'll never have to use it,' but sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next, by the way," Trump said at the Future Investment Initiative, a Saudi business conference on Friday.

"But pretend I didn't say that. Please, pretend I didn't. Please, please, please, media, please disregard that statement," he added.

Cuba is preparing itself for “possible military aggression” by the US, said the country's deputy foreign minister on Sunday in an interview.

"Our military is always prepared, and in fact, it is preparing these days for the possibility of (US) military aggression. We would be naive if not looking at what's happening around the world," Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said.

Expressing hope that the invasion would not happen, Cassio added that there would be no justification for it.

"Why would the government of the United States force its country to take military action against a neighbouring country like Cuba?" he further questioned.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba's leadership is incapable of fixing a countrywide power outage and needs new leaders to do so.

"Cuba has an economy that doesn't work, and a political and governmental system that can't fix it, so they have to change dramatically," Rubio told reporters at the White House.

The US and Cuba have remained adversaries for 65 years, but the Trump administration has stepped up pressure from Washington.

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Source: TRT