WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon is stepping up contingency planning for a possible military operation in Cuba, in case U.S. President Donald Trump orders an intervention on the island country, USA Today reported Wednesday.
Citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the report said the directives appear to reflect an escalation of recent tensions between the two countries since January, when the Trump administration imposed new oil restrictions on Cuba and issued military threats as part of a broader plan to force political changes there.
In a statement to the newspaper, the Pentagon said it "plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to execute the president's orders as directed."
On Monday, Trump threatened again that Cuba would be Washington's next target following attacks on Venezuela and Iran.
"We may stop by Cuba after we're finished with this," Trump told reporters at the White House, referring to the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which started on Feb. 28.
In an interview with NBC aired Sunday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that dialogue with the United States is possible but difficult.
Cuba is willing to engage with Washington on issues such as migration, drug trafficking and security, but only based on "respect and equality," Diaz-Canel said.
Expressing concerns about recent U.S. rhetoric, he said that should an invasion of Cuba happen, "we will battle, we will defend ourselves."
Cuba has been facing a severe economic and energy crisis since the U.S. military raided Venezuela and took Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by force on Jan. 3. The U.S. operation on Caracas has heavily disrupted Cuba's oil supplies from Venezuela and Mexico afterward. ■
