Trump hints at possible military intervention in Cuba after US forces “finish their job” in Iran
Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of a military operation in Cuba after US forces “finish their work” in Iran. The statements come in the context in which Washington announced on Friday a new set of sanctions against the regime in Havana, measures that Cuba condemned as a form of collective punishment, notes Euronews.
US President Donald Trump joked that the US Navy would “take care of Cuba” on the way back from Iran.
He made the remarks during a speech at an event organized by the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, where he was the chief guest.
Trump said the U.S. military would “take control (of Cuba, no) almost immediately,” raising concerns that the U.S. could be embroiled in a new military conflict this year.
“Now Cuba is also in trouble. First we finish one of the jobs. I like to finish what I start. When we come back, after we do what we have to do… when we come back from Iran, we will send one of our big aircraft carriers, maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln, the biggest in the world. It will stop about 100 meters from the shore and they will say, 'Thank you very much. We surrender,'” Trump said.
Trump has suggested for months that a military intervention in Cuba may be on the cards, as his administration continued to attack the leadership in Havana after Washington's spectacular intervention in Venezuela in January that led to the ouster and capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
The US president has accused Cuba of sending security personnel to protect Maduro's alleged drug-trafficking operations in exchange for payments and oil supplies, which Washington cut off after the January 3 operation.
Since then, the island has been facing a severe fuel crisis, which has paralyzed many sectors of the economy and severely affected the health system.
On Friday, Trump ordered new sanctions against Havana that target a wide range of individuals and entities in the communist-run state, including threatening foreign banks that work with them.
