U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that the United States would turn its focus to Cuba once it is done with Iran, adding that he plans to send Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize an agreement with Havana, according to a report from Reuters.
“We’ll do a little stopover. Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is, we’re going to come back from Iran,” Trump told an attendee in response to a question during a campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, EFE reported.
The remarks come just over a week before the upcoming elections in a key region of southwestern Florida home to a sizeable Cuban-American and Hispanic population. Polling cited by CNN indicates strong support among Cuban-American voters for military intervention on the island nation.
Naval Presence
Elaborating on his proposal, Trump outlined a scenario in which U.S. naval vessels returning from deployment near Iran would transit close to the island, with at least one ship stationing roughly 50 yards off the Cuban coast. Following the naval maneuver. After that, he said he would dispatch Rubio to negotiate terms with Cuban authorities.
Trump did not clarify what specific concessions or terms the United States would seek from Havana, according to outlet HerQles, nor did he announce any concrete military action, CiberCuba noted.
Trump also hinted during the event that Washington could potentially conduct further military operations targeting Iran, according to news outlet Itongadol.
