Trump administration sanctions Cuba’s national oil company, blasts Castros

The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on Cuba's state-owned oil company, Union Cuba-Petroleo, accusing it of being a tool for the "repressive security apparatus" and alleging that its assets were "unlawfully expropriated" from American owners. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Cuban leaders have diverted energy resources while the Cuban people suffer fuel shortages and blackouts. These sanctions are part of an ongoing campaign to restrict fuel to the island, following earlier actions that cut off energy exports from Venezuela. The measures are expected to worsen Cuba's energy crisis, freezing any US-based assets and barring entities operating in the US from doing business with the company. The UN human rights chief has warned that these fuel restrictions are directly harming Cubans, particularly the most vulnerable.

The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Cuba's state-owned oil and gas company on Thursday. This action escalates pressure on the Cuban government and targets a crucial sector amid an energy crisis. The sanctions were announced shortly after senior Chinese and Cuban officials held a video conference. During this meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation and party-to-party relations. The talks included Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, and Emilio Lozada Garcia, head of the International Relations Department of Cuba's Communist Party.

The United States imposed new sanctions on Friday against entities and individuals accused of trading Iranian petroleum. The sanctions target a China-based oil terminal operator, Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co., Ltd., which the State Department alleges imported tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil. Also sanctioned is Li Xinchun, a Chinese national identified as the president of a China-based oil terminal. A Hong Kong-based vessel management company and a British-based commercial manager were also included in the sanctions. The US stated these measures are part of an effort to increase pressure on Tehran regarding the ongoing conflict.