Washington, 06 March (H.S.):

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States will pivot its foreign policy focus to Cuba once ongoing military operations in Iran conclude, describing the shift as just a question of time during a White House reception honoring Major League Soccer champions Inter Miami.

Speaking to an audience that included many Cuban Americans and soccer superstar Lionel Messi, Trump addressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio—whose parents fled Cuba—praising his work on the island nation already reeling from a U.S.-enforced energy blockade.

We want to fix, 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, Trump said, alluding to regime change ambitions shared openly by both leaders.

The remarks, made amid celebrations of Inter Miami's 2025 MLS title, drew applause and underscored Trump's pattern of blending domestic festivities with geopolitical signaling.

Cuba's plight stems from the January 9 U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a key oil supplier that provided over a third of Havana's needs, severing shipments entirely for the first time since 2015.

Mexico, another vital source, halted deliveries under U.S. tariff threats, plunging the communist-ruled island into blackouts, aviation groundings, and skyrocketing black-market fuel prices—now around $8 per liter, a 400% surge.

Tourism, a lifeline for the economy, has collapsed as Canadian flights suspended and classic cars vanished from Havana streets, replaced by strained electric tricycles.

This comes against the backdrop of a U.S.-Israeli offensive in Iran, where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on February 28 in strikes targeting high-ranking officials, confirmed by Iranian state media days later.

Trump boasted of completely dismantling Iran's defenses, with U.S. forces sinking over 20 warships, as Tehran delays naming Khamenei's successor amid security fears and retaliatory missile strikes on regional U.S. assets.

The president insisted on U.S. involvement in Iran's leadership transition, rejecting Khamenei's son as unacceptable.

Analysts warn Cuba fears mirroring Iran's fate, with Trump's history of Cuba hawkishness—intensified post-Maduro—fueling speculation of intervention as fuel stocks dwindle and economic collapse looms. While the U.S. Treasury recently allowed limited Venezuelan oil resales for humanitarian use, market prices remain prohibitive for Havana.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar