U.S. President Donald Trump told Politico the United States will influence Iran’s future leadership and said Cuba’s political collapse as U.S. pressure cuts Venezuelan oil supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump outlined an assertive view of Washington’s role in shaping political outcomes abroad, linking pressure on Cuba and military operations against Iran to broader strategic objectives. In remarks to Politico, Trump argued that U.S. policy is directly influencing developments in Havana while signaling that Washington expects significant leverage over Iran’s future leadership as fighting continues.
Speaking about Cuba’s political situation, Trump predicted the island’s communist government could collapse after decades of tension with the United States. “Cuba’s going to fall,” he said, framing the island’s current instability as partly the result of U.S. policy decisions targeting its economic lifelines.
Trump tied the worsening situation in Cuba to the disruption of energy flows from Venezuela, which he described as the island’s main source of external support. According to the president, U.S. pressure cut off “all oil, all money” previously sent from Caracas. “Well, it’s because of my intervention, intervention that is happening,” Trump said. “Obviously, otherwise they wouldn’t have this problem. We cut off all oil, all money, … everything coming in from Venezuela, which was the sole source.”
The U.S. President also confirmed that U.S. officials are in contact with the Cuban leadership despite tensions. “They need help. We are talking to Cuba,” Trump said. He framed the current developments as part of a longer historical trajectory, noting that tensions between Washington and Havana have been discussed for “50 years.”
“We’ll Work With Them”
Trump also addressed the future political leadership of Iran, signaling that Washington intends to exert influence over any eventual settlement emerging from the current conflict. The president said the United States expects to play a decisive role in determining the outcome of Iran’s postwar political landscape.
“I’m going to have a big impact, or they’re not going to have any settlement,” Trump said when asked how much influence the United States expects to hold over Iran’s leadership transition. He added that the United States would work with Iranian actors to shape the outcome in ways consistent with U.S. strategic objectives.
“We’ll work with the people and the regime to make sure that somebody gets there that can nicely build Iran but without nuclear weapons,” Trump said. His remarks indicated that Washington’s priority remains preventing Iran from reconstituting a nuclear weapons capability in the years following the conflict.
Trump also commented on the succession dynamics surrounding the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose son has been discussed as a possible successor. According to the president, Iranian officials are considering that option despite questions about his leadership capacity. “Now they’re looking at the son. The reason the father wouldn’t give it to the son is they say he’s incompetent,” Trump said.
The U.S. President framed ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran as both strategically controlled and overwhelmingly effective. “We’re being surgical,” Trump said, describing the campaign as precise despite concerns raised by Pentagon officials and members of Congress about U.S. weapons inventories.
Trump dismissed worries that the conflict could strain American military resources, asserting that the United States maintains a vast stockpile. “We have unlimited supply of weapons, unlimited. … We have thousands, thousands, of them,” he said.
He also described Iran’s military capabilities as severely degraded by the campaign. “They have no navy. They have no air force. They have no detection of air,” Trump said. “Their radar is all wiped out. Their military is decimated.”
The U.S. President argued that the campaign is removing a major security threat to the United States and insisted that domestic political consequences would be minimal. “People are loving what’s happening,” Trump said. “We’re taking out a threat to the United States of America, major threat.”
His comments came ahead of November elections that could affect Republican control of Washington’s political institutions. Trump also referenced a 10-year horizon, saying he wants to avoid a future Iranian leadership that might trigger another conflict within “another 10 years.”
