US President Donald Trump hinted at an “immediate takeover” of Cuba on Friday — suggesting that he would send the US Navy towards the Caribbean nation after “finishing with Iran”. The POTUS has repeatedly hinted at a “friendly takeover” of Havana following the invasion of Venezuela in early January and amidst the US-Israeli war against Iran. The remarks came hours after Trump signed an executive order expanding sanctions against the Cuban government and its affiliates.
The White House claimed on Friday that Cuba posed “an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security”.
‘US will be taking over Cuba almost immediately’: Trump
“There’s this place called Cuba which we will be taking over almost immediately. Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first…I like to finish one first,” Trump said to laughs during a Florida event.
He also reiterated earlier claims that a “takeover” of the Caribbean country would follow the US-Israeli war against Iran. The POTUS suggested that Washington could deploy an aircraft carrier close to the island nation to await it’s “surrender”.
“On the way back from Iran, we’ll have one of our big…maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the biggest in the world…we’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore. They’ll say: ‘Thank you very much. We give up’…I like to finish a job,” he added.
Trump expands US sanctions against Cuba
Trump also signed an executive order on Friday broadening US sanctions against the Cuban government, as he seeks to put more pressure on Havana after ousting Venezuela’s leader. The fresh sanctions target people, entities and affiliates that support the Cuban government’s security apparatus or are complicit in corruption or serious human rights violations, as well as agents, officials or supporters of the government.
“The President is addressing the national security threats posed by the communist Cuban regime by taking decisive action to hold the Cuban regime, and those that perpetuate it, accountable for its support of hostile actors, terrorism, and regional instability that endanger American security and foreign policy,” a White House fact sheet claimed.