President Donald Trump predicted Friday that Cuba's communist regime is on the brink of collapse, signaling it will 'fall too' following recent U.S. successes in Venezuela and Iran.

In a phone interview with Politico reporter Dasha Burns conducted Friday morning, Trump stated, "Cuba’s going to fall, too." He attributed the island's woes to the U.S. cutoff of oil and financial support from Venezuela, declaring, "We cut off all oil, all money… everything coming in from Venezuela, which was the sole source. And they want to make a deal."

Trump described Cuba's leadership as desperate, saying, "They’re in a big deal of trouble… they have no money." He floated the prospect of a "friendly takeover of Cuba," adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was handling high-level discussions.

The comments come amid Cuba's deepening energy crisis, triggered by the January U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured strongman Nicolás Maduro and installed new leadership under Delcy Rodríguez. Venezuela had been Cuba's primary oil supplier, providing subsidized fuel essential to the island's economy. U.S. tariffs on potential alternative suppliers like Mexico have further isolated Havana.

Cuba grappled with a massive blackout Thursday that affected the western half of the country, including Havana, leaving millions without power and highlighting the fragility of its electric grid. Fuel-saving measures were enacted last month, and jet fuel remains unavailable at nine airports through mid-March. President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded to the pressures with austerity measures aimed at resisting U.S. influence.

Backchannel talks have reportedly advanced, with Rubio meeting a grandson of former leader Raúl Castro on the sidelines of a Caribbean conference on February 26. Trump confirmed U.S. engagement, posting on Truth Social earlier this year: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE." Cuban officials initially denied negotiations before dismissing reports as speculation.

Trump framed the Cuba situation as secondary to larger challenges, remarking, "How long have you been hearing about Cuba, Cuba, Cuba — for 50 years? And that’s one of the small ones for me." He expressed optimism about Venezuela's progress under its interim government and tied Cuba's potential fall to broader U.S. foreign policy gains, including strikes against Iran.