New Delhi (India) March 6:President Donald Trump of America announced his government plans to conclude the war in Iran before it turns its eyes to Cuba, indicating the direction of US foreign policy’s priorities once the conflict in the Middle East calms down.
Trump's Cuba Warning
Donald Trump said resolving the conflict with Iran is still the immediate concern, speaking at the White House at a celebration of the Major League Soccer champions Inter Miami CF.
“We want to fix, finish this one first — but that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba,” he said.
“What's happening with Cuba is amazing, and we think that we want to finish this one first, but that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba,” he added.
Rubio in High-Level Cuba Talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also been in talks with Cuban officials at a very high level, he said. The US president said that Cuba is currently faced with major financial difficulties and the Trump administration is increasingly pressuring the communist government in Havana by placing stringent fuel restrictions.
Trump issued an executive order at the end of January that placed a ban on the island’s fuel. It’s designed to cripple the Cuban government, which relies on heavily imported energy and food sources.
No Oil Since Maduro's Capture
Washington has placed an energy blockade on the communist-ruled nation that has had its oil stocks plummet following the US capture of president Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela – a critical oil producer for Cuba.
No oil has been brought in to the island since January 9, which has prompted airlines to slow flights to the island and deepened a decadeslong economic crisis.
US Sinks 24 Iranian Ships Fast
On the standing fight with Iran, Trump remained positive about the US military’s progress and claimed that US and Israeli forces are meeting his expectations. US forces destroyed 24 Iranian ships within three days.
Trump provided limited details on the operations, but his statements have not been independently verified. The president also suggested that Iranian officials willing to cooperate may be able to move the country in a positive direction.
Trump’s most recent comments are part of a steady escalation of US-Cuba tensions over the past several months. US relations with Cuba, a communist nation, had long been cold, while diplomatic tensions escalated during Trump’s second term as President.
Trump’s remarks have stoked fears among many in Cuba that the island could be among the next on Washington’s menu of foreign interventions, especially since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran that contributed to the death of the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.