Rubio Slams Cuba for Aiding Iran and 'Malign Actors' Against US, Imposes Sanctions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has leveled accusations against Cuba, alleging it has been instrumental in assisting Iran and other adversaries in targeting the United States. This announcement coincided with the imposition of sanctions on a Cuban state-owned bank, Banco Internacional de Comercio, which Rubio claims has been providing financial services to Iran’s Karafarin Bank since at least 2022. The US Treasury Department had previously sanctioned Karafarin Bank in 2020.

“For too long, Communist Cuba has been allowed to operate as an outpost for malign actors and terror groups – including the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Rubio stated. The sanctions against Banco Internacional de Comercio were announced concurrently with measures by the Treasury Department targeting Iranian financial networks, reflecting the Trump administration's efforts to curtail Tehran's access to international finance.

Rubio further asserted that Washington is committed to persistently identifying and dismantling Cuba’s financial and security ties with Iran and other nations deemed hostile by the US.