President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency through an executive order over Cuba on Thursday, citing the communist regime's alleged alignment with "hostile" foreign powers like Russia, China, Iran, and terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Trump said the Cuban government's policies and actions pose "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security and foreign policy of the U.S. The order empowers the U.S. to levy additional tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba.

The order cited Cuba as hosting Russia's largest overseas signals intelligence facility, allegedly stealing U.S. secrets, and expanding intelligence and defense ties with China.

The order stated that the Commerce Department would be responsible for identifying countries supplying oil to Cuba, while the State Department, in collaboration with other agencies, would determine the extent of the new tariffs. The national emergency would be monitored by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Cuba Regime Change Plan Emerges

A report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month indicated that the Trump administration is actively trying to identify Cuban exiles, government insiders, and civic groups willing to negotiate a deal to oust Cuba's Communist leadership by the end of the year, believing the country's economy is near collapse after losing crucial support from Venezuela.

Officials see the recent U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a possible model, though there's no detailed plan yet for ending Communist rule.

Earlier this month, Trump halted Venezuelan oil and financial aid to Cuba, urging the country to negotiate "before it is too late" with Washington. He claimed Cuba previously relied on Venezuelan support in exchange for security services, which he says is no longer the case. Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, rejected the claim, asserting the right to import fuel freely and denying receipt of any compensation for security services offered to any country.