As military operations in Iran appear to be winding down, President Trump has declared that the United States will “take over” Cuba “almost immediately.”

During his visit to Florida, Trump made remarks at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches where he stated:
“And he comes from, originally, a place called Cuba, which we will be taking over almost immediately.”
“Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first. I like to finish a job.”

Trump also joked that as U.S. naval ships leave Iran, they might take a quick pit stop in Cuban waters. He described a hypothetical scenario where the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier would arrive near Cuban shores, stopping about 100 yards offshore and receiving a message from officials:
“They’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, we give up.’”

This is not the first time Trump has hinted at such a move. In February, he suggested that the U.S. might conduct a “friendly takeover” of Cuba.

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order expanding sanctions on Cuba, targeting government officials and entities in energy, defense, and financial services. The measure also threatens foreign institutions with loss of access to U.S. markets if they continue working with Cuban entities.