5:09While much of the world’s attention has been fixed on the US war in Iran, tensions have also been rising much closer to home. At the end of last year, the new national security strategy made clear that the United States was fundamentally reviewing its foreign policy. “After years of neglect,” said the document, “the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in the western hemisphere.”The capture of Nicolás Maduro at the start of the year provided a statement of intent. It is now clear that it was the first in a set of moves intended to unlock interlinked problems in the US’s backyard. In the past few weeks, pressure has been increasing on Cuba, an island that has been a thorn in America’s side for more than 60 years.

Source: The Times March 19, 2026 09:01 UTC