US military lays groundwork for possible aggression against Cuba: Report

The Trump administration is escalating pressure on Cuba, with the US military reportedly laying the groundwork for potential aggression against the Caribbean island as Washington combines economic coercion with increasingly explicit threats of political change.

The US Army Reserve is examining whether it can provide police forces, medical personnel and other support units to the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) within the next four months, according to an internal Army message, CBS News reported.

Multiple US officials told the outlet that the planning is aimed at Cuba, although the document itself does not mention the island.

The reported preparations come as the US administration intensifies an economic campaign against Havana, including restrictions targeting Cuban entities and officials and measures aimed at cutting off the island’s access to oil.

Reports indicate that senior Pentagon officials have been examining military options against Cuba, including a potential Army-led air assault, although no decision to launch an operation has been announced.

President Donald Trump has meanwhile made increasingly explicit statements about seeking political change in Cuba.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly this week, he said his administration was seeking a “fundamental change” on the island, which he described as being “on our own doorstep,” while saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “deep into negotiations” with Havana.

Trump meets Rodríguez near Maduro's prison as Venezuela's oil flows to US

US President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez have held their first face-to-face meeting in New York.

His remarks follow a series of statements in which Trump has openly raised the prospect of taking control of Cuba.

In March, the US president told reporters at the White House that he believed he would have “the honor of taking Cuba.”

The mounting economic pressure, increasingly explicit threats of political change and reported military preparations point to a broader escalation in Washington’s campaign against Havana.

The Trump administration has presented the pressure campaign as an effort to force political and economic changes on the island, while Cuban officials have rejected Washington’s attempts to dictate the country’s political future.

The pressure has already taken a heavy toll on Cuba’s energy system, with the island suffering repeated nationwide power-grid collapses amid worsening fuel shortages and mounting economic strain.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

www.presstv.co.uk