WASHINGTON/HAVANA, 27 May. - (ANA) - As the Trump administration ramps up economic and diplomatic pressure on Cuba, it’s also sending a signal: Military action may be possible, but only if the current approach fails outright.

 

President Donald Trump has lobbed threats at Cuba’s communist government for months, saying recently that the US would be “taking over almost immediately” on its “way back from Iran.” But even as he and advisers grow impatient with the Cuban government over its ties to China, Russia, and Iran, Trump is still struggling to resolve his war with Tehran — making another military entanglement more challenging to take on.

 

For the moment, the administration is hitting Cuba with new sanctions and expanding a blockade that has recently left the country with no oil or diesel, part of a broader bid to force its leaders to the table. The US has increased surveillance flights in recent months as CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced trip to Havana to speak with Cuban officials.

 

The latest pressure campaign includes a coming indictment — expected to be announced on Wednesday, to coincide with Cuba’s independence day — against Raúl Castro, Cuba’s 94-year-old former president, who still holds significant sway over its government.

 

While Trump was emboldened by his success in Venezuela, where the US captured then-President Nicolás Maduro and is now working closely with the country’s interim leader, sustained military action in Cuba could prove tougher.    - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/27 May 2026 - - -