Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 10: United States President Donald Trump has indicated that his administration is continuing to focus on Cuba even as the US-Israel conflict with Iran enters its second week.

Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is handling matters related to Cuba and suggested that the island nation could face a possible “friendly takeover”.

“Marco Rubio is dealing with it, and it may be a friendly takeover, it may not be a friendly takeover. It wouldn’t really matter because they’re really down to fumes. They have no energy, they have no money,” Trump said.

He added that Cuba would either reach an agreement with Washington or face other actions by the United States. “They are going to make either a deal or we’ll do it just as easy anyway,” Trump said.

The remarks come as Cuba faces a deepening economic and energy crisis. The situation worsened after fuel supplies from Venezuela were disrupted, leaving the island struggling with severe shortages.

White House officials have suggested that Cuba’s economic difficulties could push its government to negotiate with Washington. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Cuban government may soon collapse and could seek a deal with the United States.

Cuba, however, has denied reports of high-level negotiations with the US, although it has not completely dismissed claims of informal contacts between Cuban representatives and American officials.
Relations between the United States and Cuba have remained tense for decades, with Washington maintaining a trade embargo on the island since the early 1960s.

Trump’s latest remarks are seen by analysts as part of a broader push by his administration to expand US influence in the Western Hemisphere, a strategy often linked to the revival of the Monroe Doctrine, which asserts that the region should remain under American influence.