Trump pledges to seize control of Cuba as nation struggles with crippling oil sanctions

US President Donald Trump made a vow on Monday to claim Cuba, as the island nation struggled with a total power blackout caused by the crippling oil embargo imposed by Washington, which has been in place for months.

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The communist authorities in Havana are facing immense pressure from the Trump administration, which is determined to make a significant impact on the island after nearly seven decades of defiance from Cuba.

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Trump expressed his intentions, stating "You know, all my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba, when will the United States do it?" and added "I do believe I'll be…having the honor of taking Cuba".

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He also mentioned that he thinks he could take any action he wants with the island, saying "they're a very weakened nation right now", in one of his most explicit threats to date.

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This threat came as Cuba, with a population of 9.6 million people, dealt with another major power cut, resulting from a "complete shutdown of the national grid", according to the Union Nacional Electrica de Cuba (UNE).

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The UNE stated that work had begun to restore electricity flow, but the island's ageing electricity generation system is in disarray, with daily power outages of up to 20 hours becoming the norm in some areas.

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Cuba's economy has been severely impacted since the US ousted the island's top ally, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, on January 3, and has been further strained by the US maintaining a de facto oil blockade.

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No oil has been imported to the island since January 9, affecting the power sector and forcing airlines to reduce flights to the island, which has a significant impact on the tourism sector.

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In an effort to alleviate economic pressure and meet US demands, a senior economic official in Cuba announced on Monday that Cuban exiles would now be allowed to invest and own businesses on the island.

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Oscar Perez-Oliva, the foreign trade minister and deputy prime minister, stated that "Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship with US companies" and "also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants".

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The blackouts, as well as regular shortages of food, medicine, and other essential items, are fueling frustrations among the population, leading to popular unrest.

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In a rare instance of violence, demonstrators vandalized a provincial office of the Cuban Communist Party last weekend, as part of a new trend of protests where people bang pots and pans at night, sometimes shouting "Libertad", or freedom.

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President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged the discontent among the population due to the prolonged blackouts in an X post, after an outage in early March, and stated that "what will never be comprehensible, justified or admitted is violence".

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The government has rationed gasoline sales and some hospital services due to the fuel shortages, and Diaz-Canel revealed last week that his government had held talks with the United States.

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Trump has claimed that the fuel blockade is a response to an "extraordinary threat" posed by Cuba to the United States, and on Sunday, he said that Cuba "wants to make a deal", which could happen soon after his administration has finished the war against Iran.

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Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, "I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do".