After Iran, Who's Next? Why Does Trump Want Action Against This Poor Country Despite No Valuable Energy Reserves?

After carrying out a massive military operation against Iran, US President Donald Trump hinted at possible developments in Washington's policy toward Cuba, saying progress was underway and suggesting changes could follow after the United States concludes its current priorities abroad. As of now, there is a trend in America's action- it has been targeting mostly those countries which are either energy rich or strategically important for the US, like Greenland. If Trump targets Cuba, it would be the rarest target as it generally targets regions which have valuable energy resources.

Notably, Cuba is one of the poorest countries in the world. Cuba, with reports suggesting up to 89 per cent of households live in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than USD 1.90 a day.

"Friendly takeover" of Cuba: Trump

Trump has previously hinted that a "friendly takeover" of Cuba by the US may be a possibility.

Speaking at the White House during an event honouring Major League Soccer champions Inter Miami, Trump briefly referred to Cuba while praising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussing broader foreign policy initiatives.

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"Marco, you've been doing a fantastic job," Trump said. "And you've been doing a fantastic job in a place called Cuba." Trump suggested that developments related to Cuba could come soon, but indicated that the administration was currently focused on other international issues.

The US and Israel are currently engaged in a massive military action against Iran. "We think that we want to finish this one first, but that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba," he said. The President did not elaborate on what specific steps the administration might take, but his remarks suggested a possible shift in Washington's approach toward the island nation.

Trump also said that many people in the United States still maintain strong ties with Cuba and expressed optimism about future engagement. "We're going to celebrate that separately," he said, adding that the administration planned to wait "a couple of weeks."

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The President did not provide further details about the timeline or the nature of any policy moves involving Havana.

Why does Trump want regime change in Cuba, even though it's not an energy-rich country?

National Security Threat: Cuba allies with Russia, China, Iran, and groups like Hamas and Hezbollah; its location near Florida makes it a potential base for US adversaries.

Regime Change Goal: Trump aims to collapse the communist government through sanctions, oil blockades, and economic crisis, forcing a "deal" or takeover by year's end.

Political Points In Florida: Tough Cuba policy wins votes from Cuban-American exiles in key swing state Florida and helps manage potential migration waves.

US-Cuba relations

Relations between the United States and Cuba have fluctuated for decades since the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959. Washington imposed a sweeping economic embargo during the Cold War that remains largely in place even today.

According to a statement released by the White House in January this year, it claimed that the the Cuban regime continues to spread its communist ideas, policies, and practices around the Western Hemisphere, threatening the foreign policy of the United States.

According to the US, the Cuban administration has taken extraordinary actions that harm and threaten the US. The regime aligns itself with, and provides support for, numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the US, including the Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

(With inputs from agency)