Senator Lindsey Graham has named Cuba as President Trump‘s next foreign policy target. This comes as the U.S. and Israel continue joint airstrikes on Iran, which have already caused major unrest in the Middle East.
Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, praised Trump heavily, comparing him to former President Ronald Reagan. He also pointed to the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as proof of Trump’s foreign policy success. “I am a big admirer of Ronald Reagan, but I’m here to tell you that Donald Trump is the gold standard for Republicans, maybe any president, when it comes to foreign policy,” Graham told Fox News.
According to the Independent, Graham made his position on Cuba clear, stating, “Cuba’s next. They’re gonna fall. This communist dictatorship in Cuba? Their days are numbered.” He also commented on Iran, saying, “The Iranian regime. The mothership of international terrorism is about to collapse. The captain of the ship, the Ayatollah, is stone cold dead.”
Cuba is already under serious economic pressure, making it a vulnerable target for U.S. action
The U.S. and Israel have carried out joint airstrikes on Iran, including the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian forces have retaliated against both Israeli and U.S. targets, and the conflict is ongoing. With civilian casualties rising across the Middle East, the situation shows no signs of slowing down.
Tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have also been rising. The capture of Maduro cut off Venezuela’s fuel shipments to Cuba, leaving the island in a serious economic crisis. Cuba even warned its allies it could not guarantee refueling for their planes, causing flights from countries like Canada and Russia to stop traveling there, which is a major blow since tourism is one of Cuba’s main sources of income.
Just one day before the Iran airstrikes began, Trump hinted at a possible “friendly takeover of Cuba,” saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in “very high level” talks with Cuban leaders. “The Cuban government is talking with us,” Trump said. “They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they’re talking to us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.” Reports show that Trump’s response to the Iran conflict raised eyebrows while missiles were flying.
Last week, the Cuban government reported that a Florida-registered speedboat carrying ten armed individuals opened fire on soldiers off Cuba’s north coast. Four of the individuals were killed and six were injured. Secretary Rubio stated it was not a U.S. operation and no government personnel were involved.
Trump had previously called Cuba a “failing nation” and said, “we’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens,” adding that “we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded by saying Cuba is “willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic, but without pressure or preconditions.”
Published: Mar 3, 2026 03:53 pm