Trump appeared to hint at a potential military operation in Cuba after US forces “finish the job” in Iran. The comments come as Washington announced a set of new sanctions targeting the island nation on Friday, which Havana slammed as a form of collective punishment.

US President Donald Trump joked on Friday that his country’s Navy would take on Cuba on the way home from Iran.

His comments came as he addressed attendees of an event at the non-profit Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, where he was invited as a keynote speaker.

Trump said that his military will be “taking over (Cuba) almost immediately,” raising concerns that the US may be entangled in yet another military conflict this year.

“Now Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first. I like to finish a job. On the way back from what we’ll do… on the way back from Iran, we’ll have one of our big, maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier – the biggest in the world, will have that come in. Stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘thank you very much. We give up’,” added Trump.

Trump has suggested that military operations in Cuba are on the table for months as his administration continued to attack leadership in Havana following Washington’s stunning intervention in Venezuela in January, which toppled and captured President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump had accused Cuba of providing security personnel to protect Maduro’s alleged drug-trafficking operations in exchange for money and oil, both of which he had cut off following the 3 January operation.

The island nation has since been grappling with dire oil shortages which have shut down many sectors across the country and ground national healthcare services to a halt. The UN warned several times that a humanitarian crisis was unfolding in Cuba as a result of the US oil embargoes.

On Friday, Trump ordered new sanctions against Havana, targeting a broad set of people in the communist-run country and threatening foreign banks that work with them.

In an executive order, Trump said he would impose sanctions on people involved in sweeping sections of the Cuban economy, which is steered by the government. (EuroNews)

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