Trump demands Iran reopen Strait of Hormuz, slams NATO and warns: “Cuba is next”
Trump extended on Thursday the deadline for Tehran to accept his terms to April 6, at the request of the Iranian government, as he announced on social media
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the military operation against Iran is “two weeks ahead” of schedule, demanded the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and sharply criticized European NATO allies for refusing to join the campaign. “When these times come, you learn who your real friends are,” he told an audience of a thousand investors at the FII Priority forum in Miami.
Trump extended on Thursday the deadline for Tehran to accept his terms to April 6, at the request of the Iranian government, as he announced on social media. In his speech, he insisted Iran is desperate to negotiate. They are begging to make a deal. They are 100% finished, he stated.
The president described military progress, saying U.S. forces are destroying weapons arsenals, missile and drone factories, and dismantling Iran’s defense industrial base. Regarding the Iranian leadership, he declared: Their Supreme Leader is no longer supreme; he’s dead. His son is dead or in very bad shape, because nobody has heard from him. He also jokingly referred to the Strait of Hormuz as the Strait of Trump before correcting himself with laughter.
His special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, expressed confidence that a meeting between both countries would take place next week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expects the war to end in weeks, not months.
Trump saved his harshest criticism for European allies. He named France, Germany, and the United Kingdom as countries he asked to help form a coalition to reopen Hormuz and which, according to him, offered excuses instead. They told me: ‘This is not our war.’ Well, Ukraine is not our war, but we helped them, he said in what sounded like a direct warning about Washington’s future commitment to European defense.
In contrast, the president praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling him a warrior and great friend. The forum was organized by Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, which last year announced $600 billion in U.S. investments.
In a moment that drew immediate attention, Trump warned: Cuba is next, by the way. He then asked the media to ignore the statement, only to repeat it. The threat adds to the military operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, which Trump also described during his remarks.
Trump spoke at the same forum where interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez had participated by videoconference two days earlier, courting investors with promises of legal certainty. The U.S. president chose to attend this event rather than join opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was present this week at the CERAWeek energy conference in Texas.
The appearance came at a low point in Trump’s approval ratings, six months before midterm elections, and amid controversy over his having voted by mail in Florida despite pushing legislation to restrict that practice.
