Trump Has Announced Plans To "get Rid" Of The Regime In Cuba

• 5.06.2026, 15:38

Washington intends to tackle Havana after the war with Iran.

Washington intends to bring about a political regime change in Cuba and will do so after the war with Iran is over, US President Donald Trump has said. "We have very good plans for Cuba. I think we're going to have to get rid of a regime that has been very harsh, very unpleasant. We're going to deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and once that's done, we're going to stop briefly on the way back to deal with that. We want to help them," the White House chief said while speaking to reporters, writes The Moscow Times.

With these statements as a backdrop, the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against members of the Cuban leadership. Under the restrictions fell Cuban President Michel Diaz-Canel, members of his family, as well as the son and grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro - Alejandro Castro Espin and Raul Alejandro Castro Calis. In addition, sanctions were imposed against Cuba's Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Cuban Peoples Friendship Institute, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and several other organizations.

In January, Trump declared a state of emergency in the United States, explaining it was a threat to national security from Cuba. After that, Washington actually imposed an energy blockade on the island. Already in May, the Cuban authorities reported on the critical condition of the country's energy system. The head of the White House, in turn, repeatedly spoke about the impending collapse of the Cuban regime. At the same time, the Pentagon began preparations for a military operation on the island in case Trump gives such an order, sources told USA Today.

The Cuban authorities stated their readiness to repel a potential US attack. "Our armed forces are always ready, and in fact they are currently preparing for the possibility of military aggression," Cuban Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said.

In the meantime, the U.S. and Cuba have been holding talks in which Washington has signaled to Havana that the republic's current president, Diaz-Canel, should step down, The New York Times wrote. The U.S. side considers him a hardliner and opponents of needed reforms in the economy. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. administration expects to change power in Cuba by the end of 2026.