Trump: The next regime to fall will be in Cuba
The U.S. President gave an interview to Politico, in which he touched upon several pressing political issues.
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Bild, which, along with Politico, WELT, Onet, Business Insider and FAKT, is part of the Axel Springer Global Reporter network, recounts the main points.
Donald Trump stated that he wants to participate in the selection of the successor to the head of state or government of Iran:
"I will have a major influence, otherwise there will be no agreement, because we are not going through all of this again. We will work with the people and the regime to ensure that someone comes to power who can rebuild Iran well, but without nuclear weapons," Trump said.
He also praised the progress of his military campaign and dismissed the concerns of some Republicans that it might cause them political damage ahead of the midterm elections in November, for example, due to rising gasoline prices. A poll published by Fox News on Thursday showed that voters' opinions on the war in Iran were divided. Previous polls indicated it was unpopular.
However, Trump doesn't believe this.
"People like it very much. They are excited about what is happening," he said. — "We are eliminating a threat to the United States of America, a great threat... and doing it in a way no one has ever seen before."
Trump described the U.S. campaign against Iran as well-controlled and disputed reports of weapon depletion. According to him, the Iranians suffered a military defeat:
"They have no navy. They have no air force. They have no aerial reconnaissance. Everything is destroyed. Their radar stations are destroyed, their army has shrunk. They only have their courage left," Trump said.
The President also praised Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: "You see how well Pete is doing his job, and you see how good the military is. We have a fantastic military. The whole world sees it now. I built the military during my first term and am using it during my second," he said.
Trump predicted that the Iranian government would not be the last to surrender in the confrontation he initiated: "Cuba will also fall."
He confirmed that the United States is in contact with Cuba's communist leadership, as instability on the island intensifies after the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: "They need help. We are talking to Cuba. We stopped all oil, all money... everything coming from Venezuela, their only source. They want to make a deal. After 50 years, this will be the icing on the cake."
Although Iran remains the focus, Trump stated that talks about the war in Ukraine would soon resume. He again expressed his frustration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "Zelenskyy must finally act and negotiate. They have no trump cards. Now he has even fewer."