Vice President of the U.S. Claims Cuban Economy in Worse State Than Iran's

U.S. Vice President JD Vance declared on Thursday that Cuba's economy is "likely in worse shape than Iran's," while confirming that Washington is engaging in discussions with Havana's regime to explore potential changes in their bilateral relationship.

These remarks were made during a press conference at the White House, just hours after President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran in France. When asked by reporters if Cuba might become the "next" focus of U.S. foreign policy, Vance offered one of the Trump administration's most candid assessments of the island's situation.

"Fundamentally, Cuba operates under a system that simply doesn't work. They are unable to generate wealth. Frankly, their economy is likely in worse condition than Iran's," Vance stated.

Migration Concerns Amid Economic Collapse

The Vice President also linked Cuba's economic crisis to a longstanding concern for Washington: the migration flows toward the United States.

"It's just 90 miles off our shores, so whenever there's a crisis, we end up with desperate refugees or people who can't feed their families trying to reach our country en masse," he noted.

Diplomatic Engagements with Cuba

Beyond his criticisms of Cuba's economic model, Vance revealed ongoing diplomatic engagements between the two sides, marking one of the highest-level public confirmations of such discussions between Washington and Havana.

"In fact, we are currently speaking with the Cuban government about how they might change their approach to transform the situation," he declared.

The Vice President made it clear that the Trump administration's stance remains firm in tying any improvements in bilateral relations to changes from the Cuban regime.

"If they make a move, we'll reciprocate. If they make smart decisions, we'll have a much better relationship with that island," he affirmed.

Prolonged Economic and Energy Crisis

These comments come amid a severe economic crisis in Cuba. Various international organizations and research centers forecast further contractions in the island's economy through 2026, in a scenario characterized by prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, difficulties in importing food and medicine, and a sustained decline in productive activities.

The energy situation remains one of the country's primary challenges. Several provinces have reported power outages lasting over 20 hours daily, while supply issues continue to affect both the population and strategic sectors of the economy.

In recent months, analysts have warned about the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions on the island. Cuban economist Pedro Monreal recently noted that, under certain scenarios, the decline in gross domestic product could be even deeper than official forecasts suggest.

Stalled Talks with Washington

Conversations between Washington and Havana have yet to yield significant progress. At the end of May, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal publicly acknowledged that "not much progress" has been made in contacts between the two governments.

Meanwhile, Miguel Díaz-Canel reiterated in April that Cuba will not accept negotiations linked to changes in the country's political system, insisting that the island's internal affairs "are not on the table."

Reports indicate that topics discussed during these contacts include the situation of political prisoners, potential economic reforms, Cuba's relationships with Russia and China, and migration issues affecting hundreds of thousands of Cuban residents in the United States.

Despite the criticisms leveled against the Cuban regime, Vance assured that the ultimate goal of U.S. policy remains improving the living conditions of the island's population.

"We want the Cuban people to be happy and successful," he concluded.