Donald Trump is preparing to start a war against Cuba after growing frustrated that his intimidation tactics against the country’s communist regime aren’t working, according to a report.
The president, who is already in the midst of a deeply unpopular conflict in Iran, is weighing whether to launch military action against Havana to force through his hopes for regime change in Cuba, according to Politico.
The Trump administration has long toyed with the idea of attacking Cuba. Discussions have intensified as the economic pressure the U.S. piled on the country—including cutting off oil supplies from Venezuela following the capture of the South American country’s former leader Nicolás Maduro—is not having the desired effect.
“The mood has definitely changed,” a source told Politico. “The initial idea on Cuba was that the leadership was weak and that the combination of stepped-up sanctions enforcement, really an oil blockade, and clear U.S. military wins in Venezuela and Iran would scare the Cubans into making a deal.
“Now Iran has gone sideways, and the Cubans are proving much tougher than originally thought. So now military action is on the table in a way that it wasn’t before.”
It remains unclear what any military operation against Cuba might look like. It has been reported that the U.S. is planning steps to indict Raúl Castro, the former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel Castro, over allegations surrounding the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.
This has raised speculation that the U.S. could carry out another smash-and-grab raid to detain the 94-year-old former Cuban leader in a military operation similar to the abduction of Maduro in January.
Other options on the table include the U.S. launching a single airstrike against Cuba as a sort of warning shot or carrying out a full-scale invasion, Politico reported.
On Monday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that any military action from the U.S. would “provoke a bloodbath of incalculable consequences.”
“Cuba poses no threat, nor does it have aggressive plans or intentions against any country,” Díaz-Canel posted on X. “It has none against the U.S., nor has it ever had any—something the government of that nation knows full well, particularly its defense and national security agencies.”
Earlier this month, it was reported that Senate Republicans were warning Trump not to start a fresh conflict with Cuba while the war in Iran continues.
Trump blasted the claim while continuing his inflammatory rhetoric against Cuba in a raging Truth Social post.
“No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction—down!” Trump wrote. “Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!!”
In a statement to Politico, a White House official reiterated Trump’s claims that Cuba will soon “fall” and that “we will be there to help them out.”
“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander-in-chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision,” the official added.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the Pentagon for further comment.
