Speaking at the White House, Trump said previous administrations had considered action against Cuba for decades and suggested he could be the president to pursue it. While he did not outline specific plans, his remarks marked the latest escalation in Washington’s rhetoric toward the communist-run island.

Rubio, speaking separately in Miami before departing for meetings in Europe and India, said the administration’s preferred outcome remained a negotiated settlement but acknowledged doubts that meaningful progress could be achieved with Cuba’s current leadership.

“The president’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful,” Rubio said, adding that prospects for such an outcome were limited given the current political environment in Havana.

The comments came one day after U.S. federal prosecutors announced an indictment accusing Castro of ordering the 1996 shootdown of civilian aircraft operated by Cuban exiles based in Miami. The charges include murder and destruction of an aircraft. Cuban authorities have rejected the case, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel describing it as a political maneuver intended to justify potential aggression against the island.

The indictment has fueled speculation that the Trump administration may be considering a more confrontational approach toward Cuba. Analysts have drawn comparisons to Washington’s earlier operation against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces earlier this year and faces federal criminal charges in the United States.

Senior U.S. officials, including Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have held discussions with Cuban representatives in recent months aimed at improving relations. Rubio said those contacts failed to produce meaningful results and contributed to the administration’s decision to impose additional sanctions on Havana.

Among the latest measures are sanctions targeting Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., a business conglomerate controlled by Cuba’s armed forces. Rubio also announced that a relative of the group’s executive president had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities after her legal residency status was revoked.

The administration argues that Cuba presents a national security challenge because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia, as well as its relationships with governments viewed as adversarial by Washington.

China rejected the U.S. position on Thursday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing supports Cuba’s sovereignty and opposes external interference and sanctions.

The heightened tensions come as the U.S. military conducts exercises in the Caribbean involving the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and accompanying vessels. U.S. Southern Command said the deployments are part of previously scheduled maritime operations with regional partners.

Trump has increasingly linked future relations with Cuba to demands that Havana expand economic openness and reduce ties with U.S. geopolitical rivals, while continuing to tighten sanctions pressure on the island’s government.

Rubio, traveling with President Donald Trump during a visit to China, said Cuba’s deepening economic turmoil stemmed from structural failures and corruption rather than US sanctions, which Havana has long blamed for shortages and financial distress.“It’s a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it’s impossible to change it,” Rubio told Fox News aboard Air Force One.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge in that regime.”Cuba has been grappling with severe economic disruption and energy shortages, with authorities reporting that around 65% of the island experienced electricity blackouts on Tuesday.

The US State Department publicly renewed the $100 million assistance proposal, saying the package would include humanitarian support and funding aimed at expanding “fast and free” Internet access across the island.

“The regime refuses to allow the United States to provide this assistance to the Cuban people,” the department said in a statement, adding that Cuban authorities would be accountable if they rejected “critical life-saving aid.”Washington last week imposed new sanctions targeting key entities within Cuba’s state-controlled economy and foreign partners linked to the sector.

Trump has recently intensified pressure on leftist governments in Latin America and has suggested Cuba could become a future target of broader US strategic efforts after the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

Cuban authorities rejected Rubio’s characterization of the crisis and blamed US restrictions for worsening fuel shortages and economic instability.President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the worsening conditions were caused by what he described as a US “energy blockade,” accusing Washington of threatening countries supplying fuel to Cuba with punitive tariffs.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla dismissed Rubio’s claims that Havana had rejected the aid proposal, calling the assertion “a lie” and questioning whether the offer was intended to undermine Cuban sovereignty.

Cuba has witnessed a series of small but increasingly visible protests in recent months as residents face prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages and rising economic hardship.

Witnesses told AFP that demonstrators in parts of Havana banged pots and pans and demanded electricity be restored following new power outages.Cuba’s fuel imports have sharply declined since the United States moved earlier this year against Venezuela’s leadership, reducing energy support from Caracas.

Since then, only one Russian oil tanker has reportedly reached the island.The Trump administration previously provided $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba through Catholic Church-linked charities, which have historically acted as intermediaries between Washington and Havana.

Speaking in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Díaz-Canel said an invasion or targeted operation against Cuba would come at a high cost and trigger a strong defensive response from the island’s population.

He added that Cubans would be prepared to fight if necessary.His remarks come amid heightened tensions with United States under President Donald Trump, despite both sides acknowledging ongoing contacts aimed at addressing bilateral disputes.

Díaz-Canel accused Washington of pursuing a “hostile policy” toward Cuba and said the United States had “no moral” authority to demand political changes from Havana, while reiterating Cuba’s willingness to engage in dialogue without preconditions.

The Cuban leader linked the island’s worsening economic conditions to U.S. measures, including restrictions that have disrupted energy supplies and exacerbated shortages affecting transport, healthcare and industrial output.

Cuba produces roughly 40 percent of its fuel needs and has faced acute shortages following disruptions to oil shipments, including from Venezuela earlier this year, contributing to a deepening energy crisis.

Díaz-Canel said recent statements from Trump, including suggestions that Cuba could be targeted next, were taken by Havana as a warning, reinforcing the government’s focus on safeguarding national sovereignty and stability.