Amid Iran war, Trump says Cuba is ‘ready to fall’, announces plan to send Rubio

Trump links Cuba strategy to broader foreign policy

US President Donald Trump said Cuba is on the brink of collapse and signalled that he intends to send Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the island, remarks that suggest Washington’s foreign policy focus could extend beyond the ongoing war with Iran.

“Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon,” Trump told CNN, adding, “I’m gonna put Marco over there. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready.”

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long advocated for political change in Havana. Trump did not clarify what he meant by Cuba “falling”, whether he envisioned a negotiated political transition, economic collapse or more direct intervention.

Cuba has faced US sanctions for more than six decades. Its government, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, has grappled with rising domestic unrest in recent years, including widespread protests in 2021 that marked the most significant public demonstrations in decades.

The comments on Cuba came during a broad-ranging CNN interview in which Trump also addressed the ongoing conflict with Iran. He described the US military performance as a “12 or 15 out of 10.”

“We’re doing very well militarily, better than anybody could have even dreamed,” he said.

Referring to Gulf Arab states that have come under attack amid the conflict, Trump said Tehran “made a terrible mistake when they attacked them” and added that those countries were “doing unbelievable”.

Asked about who might lead Iran after the war, Trump said it “is going to work like it did in Venezuela” and that whoever assumes power must “treat the United States and Israel well.”

On rising fuel prices — driven by disruptions to Gulf energy supplies and threats to the Strait of Hormuz — Trump played down concerns.

“That’s alright, it’ll be short term, it’ll go way down very quickly,” he said.