Trump says warships will pass Cuba on way back from Iran

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States would deal with Cuba once it finishes with Iran. He described American warships stopping off the island's coast on their way home and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would then "finish up the deal." Trump spoke at a midterm campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, according to Reuters. The remarks were his latest suggestion that Havana is next in line after US military campaigns against Venezuela and Iran.usnews.com

Ships off the coast

Trump made the comments after someone in the crowd at Florida Gulf Coast University's Alico Arena shouted about Cuba, the USA Today Network reported. "Actually what we're going to do with Cuba is we're going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships. We'll pass Cuba. We'll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast," Trump said. "They'll raise up their hands and then we're going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up. We don't even have to stop."gainesville.com

At the same rally, Trump said Washington "may do another little Epic Fury," using the US military's name for the war with Iran, which is nearing its eighth month, Reuters reported. Earlier in the day, he had told reporters the US "could end it very quickly," but asked whether it should "finish it off or just want to let it wither," according to Asharq Al-Awsat. The rally was mainly meant to boost Republican candidates, including gubernatorial hopeful Byron Donalds, ahead of the November 3 election.english.aawsat.com+1

Pressure on Havana

The administration has said its goal is to change Cuba's communist government. Even so, last month Trump predicted the two countries would reach an agreement and said he did not think military action would be needed, Reuters noted. A US oil blockade imposed earlier this year has strained the island, worsening fuel shortages and blackouts. Washington stepped up its pressure after US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a January raid.usnews.com

Since the start of 2026, the administration has also threatened tariffs on countries that supply Cuba with fuel, Al Jazeera reported.aljazeera.com

Fight over the UN vote

Trump's remarks came days before the UN General Assembly's annual vote on a nonbinding resolution calling for an end to the US embargo, expected October 27 or 28. On Wednesday, October 21, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused Washington of threatening member states with sanctions and visa denials if they side with Havana. "The US State Department is exerting unprecedented pressure — at times in a personal and brazen manner by the secretary of state himself," Rodríguez said, according to Reuters. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has urged countries to reject the resolution, calling it "an excuse to justify oppression, to justify the misery of the Cuban people."reuters.com