Trump joked that the US Navy could “stop in Cuba on the way home” after the operation against Iran

The US President Donald Trump joked that US Navy forces could "stop in Cuba on the way home" while returning from an operation against Iran.

Euronews reports this.

Speaking at an event in Florida, Trump said that American ships could "capture Cuba almost immediately" if they entered the Caribbean region on their way back.

"Thereʼs trouble in Cuba. On the way back from Iran, weʼll have one of our big ships, maybe the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the largest in the world. Weʼll stop about 100 yards away from them, and theyʼll say, ʼThank you very much. Weʼre surrendering,ʼ" Trump said.

Reuters, citing sources, reported on May 1 that Trump had signed an executive order imposing a new package of sanctions against Cuba. The restrictions target people and entities related to the energy, defense, finance, and metallurgical industries, as well as the security sector.

Separately, Cuban officials accused in the US of corruption and serious human rights violations will be subject to sanctions. They will be banned from entering the United States.

What is happening between Cuba and the USA?

In late January, US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over Cuba and threatened tariffs on countries that supply it with oil. Trump accused Cuba of cooperating with hostile states to the US, including Russia, China and Iran, and of supporting the Hamas and Hezbollah groups.

According to him, Cuba allows Russian and Chinese intelligence and military facilities to be located on its territory, which monitor the US.

Trump also said that the Cuban government violates human rights, persecutes the opposition, restricts freedom of speech and suppresses civil society. He stressed that the United States "will not tolerate the actions of the communist regime in Cuba".

The Cuban government responded by declaring that the United States posed a threat to the country and declared an international emergency. The blockade caused a complete collapse of Cubaʼs energy system, with a blackout on the island as the country ran out of fuel for its power plants. The authorities were forced to cancel classes, restrict the work of hospitals and transport. The crisis also sparked public protests, and airlines suspended flights to the island due to a shortage of jet fuel.

On March 6, Trump said that the Cuban government was “soon to fall” and that he wanted to make a deal with it. Trump also said that he intended to make US Secretary of State Marco Rubio his deputy in Cuba.

On March 19, the FT reported that Russia had sent two tankers carrying oil and gas to Cuba, despite US restrictions. These were the first fuel deliveries to the island in three months. Trump himself said he saw no problem with Russian oil supplies to Cuba.

Already on April 18, Axios, citing sources, wrote that a US State Department delegation visited Cuba on April 10 — the first time since President Barack Obamaʼs visit to the island in 2016.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.