US President Donald Trump has labelled Cuba a 'failed nation', saying the island's Communist government is under severe economic strain and signalling that his administration intends to make Cuba a higher foreign-policy priority once ongoing efforts involving Iran are concluded. The remarks, made on 5 June, represent one of Trump's clearest public statements on Cuba policy in recent months.

Cuba's Economic Collapse, in Trump's Words

Trump attributed Cuba's deepening crisis in large part to the diminished financial lifeline it once received from Venezuela. “Without Venezuela... Venezuela took care of them for years,” he said, adding that Caracas had long supplied Havana with money and energy to keep the island afloat. He described current conditions in stark terms: “The country is starving, and it's got no energy, it's got no oil, it's got no money, it's got nothing. It's got a beautiful piece of land.”

When pressed on whether recent US sanctions were designed to hasten the Cuban government's collapse, Trump pushed back. “No, it's just — we just want them to be a nicely run country that can feed its people,” he said. He added: “It sort of collapsed... and we're going to handle that as soon as we finish.”

Iran First, Then Cuba

Trump made clear that sequencing matters in his foreign-policy agenda. “I like to do one thing at a time, and we'll take care of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And as soon as that's done on our way back, we'll just make a little brief stop,” he said, framing a future Cuba focus as a near-term follow-on to Middle East diplomacy. The comment suggests Washington could sharpen its Cuba posture considerably once current Iran-related negotiations or tensions reach a resolution.

A Future Vision for US-Cuba Ties

Beyond pressure, Trump also outlined what he described as a constructive path forward. He said Washington wants to help create conditions for Cuban-Americans — a community he noted backed him with an estimated 95 per cent of their vote — to reconnect with relatives and invest in the island. “We're going to treat Cuba well,” he said. “We're going to let our people go back and let them invest in Cuba if they'd like.” He added: “We have some very good plans for Cuba.”

Cuba's Worsening Crisis

The remarks come against a backdrop of genuine humanitarian deterioration. Cuba has been grappling with severe fuel shortages, widespread power outages, surging inflation, and declining state revenues for several years. The island has also seen one of its largest waves of emigration in modern history, with hundreds of thousands of Cubans seeking opportunities abroad. The loss of Venezuelan subsidies — which had propped up the Cuban economy for over two decades — has accelerated the crisis, according to analysts.

Notably, this is not the first time a US administration has applied pressure on Havana; the Trump administration's first term reversed much of the Obama-era diplomatic opening, reinstating sanctions and designating Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism. The current signals suggest a continuation and possible intensification of that approach.

What Comes Next

No specific policy measures or timelines were announced alongside Trump's comments. The administration has yet to detail what its “very good plans” for Cuba entail. How quickly the Iran file is resolved will likely determine when — and how forcefully — Washington pivots its attention to Havana.