Following massive airstrikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and the dramatic arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, close associates of President Donald Trump have revealed that the administration is preparing to target Cuba as its next major foreign policy objective.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) declared last weekend that "Cuba is next," asserting that the communist government in Cuba is on the verge of collapse.

"The communist dictatorships in Cuba? Their days are numbered," he stated, praising President Trump's foreign policy as exceeding that of former President Ronald Reagan.

Within the administration, the situation is being framed as a historic opportunity not achieved by any of the 12 preceding presidents—the termination of a 67-year-old communist regime established by former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Trump himself has fanned the flames of speculation.

Speaking at the White House last week, President Trump stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is engaged in high-level talks with Cuban leadership and hinted at the possibility of a "friendly takeover" of Cuba.

"The Cuban government is talking to us," Trump said, "They have no money, they have nothing right now."

"But they're talking to us, and perhaps we can have a friendly takeover," he added.

Administration officials are describing a dual strategy: simultaneously intensifying economic pressure while opening the door to negotiations that could allow U.S. businesses to enter the Cuban market, contingent on political reforms.

Rubio has been engaged in discreet discussions with members of the Castro family, according to reports cited by Axios and an Atlantic column.

Instead of directly negotiating with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Secretary Rubio is reportedly reaching out to associates of Raul Castro, particularly his grandson, Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro.

For Rubio, who was born to Cuban immigrant parents and rose to prominence in Florida politics by spearheading the anti-Castro movement, these negotiations carry significant personal weight.

One State Department official told Newsmax that Secretary Rubio is looking for figures like "Dexi Rodriguez," who is serving as the interim president of Venezuela and is cooperating with the United States to ensure the transition to democratic elections.

For now, the administration's strategy heavily relies on Cuba's dire economic situation.

Since the United States took control of Venezuela's oil industry in January, subsidized Venezuelan crude oil shipments to Cuba, long a lifeline for the island, have ceased.

Subsequent executive orders threatened tariffs on nations supplying oil to Havana, pressuring alternative sources.

The result has been a cascade of blackouts, factory closures, food shortages, and disruptions to hospital operations.

Canadian and Russian airlines have reportedly suspended flights due to a lack of jet fuel, further crippling Cuba's tourism industry, one of its few sources of foreign currency.

Trump recently characterized Cuba as an "unusual and extraordinary threat," though he offered no detailed explanation for the assertion.

Critics point out that Russia, China, and Iran are not currently deploying missiles in Havana, and Cuba's military equipment is largely Soviet-era.

However, administration officials maintain that economic collapse could trigger internal reforms or a negotiated transition of power.

When asked about the imminence of military action, President Trump stated, "I think it's going to collapse. I think it's going to completely collapse."

Uncertainty is mounting on the island.

Following U.S. airstrikes in Venezuela and against Iran, Cuban counterintelligence agents have reportedly visited areas near military facilities in Havana, collecting lists of residents and preparing evacuation plans.

In Havana, fears have intensified that the United States might pursue a regime change in the style of assassinating leaders, amplified by the recent killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Over the past five years, more than 2 million Cubans have left the island.

Those remaining face daily blackouts, gasoline shortages, and soaring food prices. "For the people there, hunger is all that's left," one Havana resident said of a nearby military installation.

However, public opinion appears divided.

Some religious and civic leaders are calling for a negotiated settlement to prevent civilian casualties, while others openly argue that U.S. intervention may be the only path to ending decades of repression.

With Venezuela destabilized and Iran reeling, the administration believes the geopolitical landscape has fundamentally shifted.

Cuban officials have expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue, but only "without pressure or preconditions."

Cuba, long a symbol of Cold War rivalries, has re-emerged at the center of Washington's ambitions, and the Trump administration appears determined to be at the forefront, Newsmax reports.

By United States NNP=Hong Seong-gu Chief Reporter / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com