Trump threatens Cuba after Iran war; Havana faces oil collapse
Last updated: 20:32 UTC, April 06 2026 | Started: 2026-04-06 20:32 | 1 update(s) | Avg confidence: 72/100
The story so far: The 2026 Iran war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and striking Iranian military infrastructure. Cuba, a longtime US adversary with a strategic partnership with Iran and Venezuela, lost both its main oil suppliers in January–February 2026, first when the US seized Venezuelan President Maduro and imposed an oil blockade on Havana, then when Iran came under sustained US-Israeli attack. Trump has since named Cuba as a future military target, even as backchannel negotiations proceed through Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Latest Updates
2026-04-06 20:32 — Trump threatens Cuba after Iran war; Havana faces oil collapse
The United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, striking Iranian military infrastructure, leadership, and air defenses in a coordinated assault that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day, according to Britannica and AP reports confirmed by multiple wire agencies.
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What We Know
- The United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, striking Iranian military infrastructure, leadership, and air defenses in a coordinated assault that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day, according to Britannica and AP reports confirmed by multiple wire agencies.
- Cuba, which holds a strategic partnership with Iran and relies on Iranian and Venezuelan oil, condemned the US-Israeli strikes 'in the strongest terms' in an official Foreign Ministry statement on February 28, calling them a 'flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and International Law.'
- Trump publicly declared Cuba his next military target at the Future Investment Initiative Summit in Miami on March 28, saying 'next is Cuba,' while simultaneously demanding the resignation of President Miguel Díaz-Canel — a demand Havana officially rejected, according to the Seoul Economic Daily.
- US Senate Democrats — led by Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) — introduced a war powers resolution to prevent Trump from attacking Cuba without congressional authorization, citing the Iran operation as a precedent for unauthorized military action, according to Common Dreams.
- Washington allowed a Russian oil tanker, the Anatoli Kolodkin, to deliver approximately 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba — the first fuel shipment since the US blockade began in January — reportedly to avoid provoking Russia while the US remains consumed by the Iran campaign, according to Politico as cited by multiple outlets.
Still Unclear
- US President Donald Trump (multiple public statements): Trump says the US is negotiating with Iran toward a ceasefire and that talks are going well.
Iranian government, as reported by Wikipedia's 2026 Iran war article citing multiple wire agencies: Iran denied that any talks ever took place or are taking place, calling Trump 'deceitful,' and rejected the US 15-point peace plan.
- Iranian state media: Iran disrupted the US rescue operation for the downed F-15E crew and shot down multiple US aircraft during the mission.
White House, US military; confirmed by New York Times and Wall Street Journal: The US announced the rescue operation as a complete success, stating both crew members were recovered alive and that two MC-130 aircraft were deliberately destroyed by US forces — not shot down — to prevent technology capture.
- (Unverified — single source | No independent reporting confirms direct Cuba-Iran armed combat. The GDELT signal most likely reflects Cuba's political-military alignment with Iran within the broader 2026 Iran war context, or automated misclassification of Cuba's diplomatic condemnation statements as combat events.) GDELT signals indicate active armed combat or fighting between Cuba and Iran as distinct actors. [GDELT automated event detection]
- (Unverified — single source | Anonymous or unverified successor Mojtaba Khamenei's status — Trump said 'nobody has heard from him' — has not been independently confirmed by wire agencies.) Trump claims Iran's supreme leader and 'other leadership figures have all been eliminated.' [Donald Trump (speech at Future Investment Initiative Summit, March 28, 2026)]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Preliminary confirmed deaths in the 2026 Iran war across all parties | 2,076+ in Iran; 26+ in Israel; 13 US soldiers; 28+ in Gulf states | Al Jazeera live tracker, as of April 5, 2026 |
| Iranian missiles, drones, and cruise missiles fired at UAE alone | 498 ballistic missiles, 2,141 drone attacks, 23 cruise missiles intercepted | UAE Ministry of Defence, as of April 4, 2026 |
| Russian oil tanker delivery allowed to Cuba under blockade | 730,000 barrels | Multiple outlets citing Politico report, late March 2026 |
| Cuban population that has emigrated since 2021 | 15 percent | US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, press conference, February 25, 2026 |
| US military targets struck inside Iran | Over 11,000 targets | US military, cited by NewsForKids.net and multiple outlets |
| People potentially pushed into acute food insecurity if war continues through mid-2026 | 2.2 million in the region | United Nations World Food Program projection, as cited by Foreign Policy |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cuba at war with Iran?
No. Cuba and Iran are strategic partners, not adversaries. Cuba has condemned the US-Israeli assault on Iran. The geopolitical signal linking the two reflects Cuba's diplomatic alignment with Iran and its shared exposure to US pressure — not direct Cuba-Iran combat. No credible source reports armed conflict between Havana and Tehran.
Why is Cuba facing an energy crisis in 2026?
Cuba lost two key oil suppliers simultaneously. The US imposed an oil blockade in January 2026 after the US military seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, cutting off Venezuelan oil. Then the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began February 28, severed Cuba's other strategic energy partner. The UN has warned of a potential humanitarian collapse.
Could the US actually attack Cuba next?
Trump publicly named Cuba as his next military target on March 28, 2026. However, US-Cuba negotiations are reportedly ongoing through Secretary of State Rubio, and analysts note the US military is heavily committed in Iran. Senate Democrats have introduced a war powers resolution to require congressional authorization before any Cuba strike.
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