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Donald Trump, the President of the United States, joined by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced new measures at the White House in Washington, D.C., on September 22, 2025. — Reuters
– The United States has imposed sanctions targeting Cuba’s security, energy, and financial sectors.
– Cuba describes these measures as “coercive” and states it will not yield to threats.
– The U.S. alleges ties between Cuba, Iran, and Hezbollah.
The sanctions, announced in an executive order, aim to increase pressure on the Cuban government. They target individuals, organizations, and affiliates linked to supporting Cuba’s security services or involved in corruption and severe human rights abuses. The order also extends to any foreign entity operating within sectors such as energy, defense, metallurgy, finance, or security related to the Cuban economy. Secondary sanctions are permitted for transactions involving those targeted.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the new measures, calling them an extension of the U.S.’s “brutal, genocidal” blockade. He criticized the ongoing embargo, attributing harm to the arrogant stance of America’s strongest military power. Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, stated that these sanctions, coinciding with May Day celebrations, seek to impose “collective punishment” on the Cuban people, asserting that Cubans will not be intimidated.
Former U.S. sanctions investigator Jeremy Paner commented that these actions mark the most significant restrictions on non-American companies since the embargo on Cuba was enacted decades ago. He explained that oil and gas companies, along with banks that have maintained separate Cuba operations from U.S.-based ones, are no longer protected.
This move by the Trump administration is part of a series of aggressive policies against Cuba, which the president has repeatedly suggested is nearing collapse. Under Trump, the U.S. has carried out strikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking off Venezuela and seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s assets, hinting that Cuba might be next.
The renewed sanctions implicitly accuse the Havana government of aligning with Iran and groups like Hezbollah. U.S. officials argue that Cuba offers a permissive environment for hostile foreign intelligence, military operations, and terrorism, all located less than 100 miles from U.S. shores.
Historically, the U.S. has demanded Cuba open its economy, pay reparations for expropriated properties, and hold democratic elections. Cuba has maintained that its socialist government is not up for negotiation.
Earlier this year, the U.S. suspended Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba after Maduro’s removal, threatening tariffs on any other countries that send crude to the island—prompting Mexico, a key supplier, to cease shipments. The resulting fuel shortages have led to widespread blackouts and airline suspensions, severely impacting daily life in Cuba.
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