Trump hints at new military target after Iran: Who's next?

United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has hinted at a potential next target for the U.S. military after it finishes its current campaign against Iran.

Delivering his keynote speech at an event at the non-profit Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, President Trump said, “We will be taking over Cuba almost immediately.”

His remarks have raised concerns that the U.S. might entangle itself in yet another military conflict amid its ongoing war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He said after the Navy finishes its job in Iran, the U.S. will bring its biggest aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln at 100 yards offshore and Cuba will say, “Thank you very much. We give up.”

His statement comes as Cuba grapples with extreme energy crises due to U.S. sanctions and an oil embargo imposed on the country. This action has exacerbated major power outages and created severe shortages of fuel for transportation and electricity generation, plunging the nation into a major energy crisis.

Trump said that military action against Cuba was already on the table for months following Operation Absolute Resolve, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

On Friday, Washington announced a new wave of sanctions against the island nation, aimed at crippling the already struggling economy. Cuban leaders slammed the move as a form of collective punishment.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo said, “We firmly reject the recent unilateral coercive measures adopted by the United States government. These actions demonstrate an intention to impose, once again, collective punishment on the Cuban people.”