Is Cuba next? What the fallout from the Iran war means for Havana
📌 Key Takeaways
- Based on the title alone and the broader geopolitical context, here are the key points this headline suggests:
- **Potential for U.S. Pressure:** The headline implies that U.S. actions against Iran (likely referring to sanctions or military strikes) could set a precedent for increased pressure on Cuba, another long-standing adversary.
- **Focus on "Axis of Resistance" Allies:** It suggests Cuba's geopolitical alignment with U.S.-opposed states (like Iran, Venezuela, and others) might make it a target in a broader U.S. foreign policy strategy.
- **Speculation on Regime Stability:** The question "Is Cuba next?" hints at concerns about whether the Cuban government could face destabilization from external economic or political shocks, similar to those impacting Iran.
- **Economic Vulnerability:** A core implication is that Cuba's already fragile economy could be severely impacted by intensified sanctions or the fallout from global conflict, even if not directly targeted.
📖 Full Retelling
Speculation about what's next for Havana comes as the U.S. continues to attack Iran and shortly after Trump ordered U.S. forces to depose Venezuela's president.
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Original Source
"Cuba's next," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, after the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran. The U.S. has imposed an oil blockade on the communist-run island nation since January, shortly after its ally and a key provider of oil, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was seized in an extraordinary U.S military operation. It has caused a worsening economic crisis and left Cuba facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now Iran, with which Cuba has a strategic partnership, is under sustained attack. "This communist dictatorship in Cuba, their days are numbered," Graham told Fox News's "Sunday Night in America." Before the Iran strikes, Trump said he wanted a "friendly takeover" of the island, without giving details. The comments, alongside the U.S. attacks on Iran and Venezuela, have done little to allay growing fears in Havana, experts told CNBC. The message from Cuba is one that has been constant since 1959: survival will only be achieved through adaptation to the changing geopolitical context. Par Kumaraswami professor at the University of Nottingham A "friendly takeover" could resemble Venezuela in the aftermath of Maduro's removal, "where you still have an authoritarian regime in power but moving in the direction and at the speed that the US determines," said Carlos Solar, senior research fellow, Latin American Security at RUSI, a London-based defense think tank. Solar told CNBC by email that Cuba had lost support from Venezuela and Iran "at a moment of maximum pressure" from the Trump administration. But he added: "What is unclear is how the US will make the Cuban regime break, forcing Havana to capitulate." "We are not seeing the kind of military buildup prelude to operation Absolute Resolve that eventually led to Maduro being captured in January. It could well be that the US approaches Cuba in a totally different way," Solar said. A Turkish Airlines plane takes off at Jose Marti Internatio...
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