Trump Says Warships Returning From Iran Could Stop Off Cuba, Then Rubio Would Finish a Deal

President Donald Trump told a campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, Oct. 23, that U.S. warships returning from the Iran war would stop off Cuba, after which he would send Secretary of State Marco Rubio in to finish a deal. Responding to a shouted question from the crowd, Trump said one ship would halt about 50 yards off the coast and that they would raise their hands. The rally came days before the midterm elections, in which voters have voiced concern about the war's effect on prices. Trump first floated the idea earlier this year, and in May he and Rubio raised possible military action after criminal charges were announced against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Last month Trump predicted a U.S.-Cuba agreement and said he doubted force would be needed. Rubio later posted on X seeking new Cuban contacts for the CIA. The U.S. has imposed an oil blockade this year, causing fuel shortages and blackouts, and seized Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro in January. Cuba's foreign minister told the UN last month that Cuba is open to dialogue.

Left-leaning coverage, represented by HuffPost running AP text, leads with the revival of intervention talk, framing it as another interventionist suggestion. It stresses the midterm timing, price worries, the May threats and the Castro charges. Alternative outlets differ. ZeroHedge adds Rubio's X post and the naval build-up near Iran. The Hindu adds the blockade, the embargo, the Maduro raid and Cuba's openness to talks. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had. Those covering it focus on Trump's remarks, Rubio's role and the wider U.S.-Cuba pressure campaign.