Bringing the financial pain to Commies and terrorists is always a good thing. It hurts them, it helps the civilized world, and now and then it even gives us a chuckle. Case in point: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Thursday, took to his official X account to inform us of the State Department's new sanctions on a Cuban financial institution that was reported to have illegal dealings with Iran — so, hitting communists and terrorists both. Two birds, one stone.
For too long, Communist Cuba has been allowed to operate as an outpost for malign actors and terror groups – including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism – to target the United States. Today, I designated BICSA, a Cuban financial institution which has been providing financial services to sanctioned Iranian entities. Let me be absolutely clear: the Trump Administration will not tolerate a rogue state hosting hostile foreign military, intelligence and terror operations less than a hundred miles from our homeland. https://t.co/MMEgob7I1V
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 15, 2026
Secretary Rubio writes:
For too long, Communist Cuba has been allowed to operate as an outpost for malign actors and terror groups – including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism – to target the United States. Today, I designated BICSA, a Cuban financial institution which has been providing financial services to sanctioned Iranian entities. Let me be absolutely clear: the Trump Administration will not tolerate a rogue state hosting hostile foreign military, intelligence and terror operations less than a hundred miles from our homeland.
A State Department press release, penned by Rubio, also issued on Thursday, has more.
Cuba’s BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE COMERCIO S.A. (BICSA) has provided services to the designated Iran’s Karafarin Bank since at least 2022. The Department of the Treasury sanctioned Karafarin Bank pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902 in 2020. Today, in concert with a Department of the Treasury action on Iranian financial actors, I am sanctioning the Cuban state-owned BICSA pursuant to Section 2(a)(i)(A) of E.O. 14404 for operating in or having operated in the financial services sector of the Cuban economy.
Let me be clear: the Trump Administration will not tolerate a rogue state hosting hostile foreign military, intelligence and terror operations less than a hundred miles from the American homeland. We will continue to aggressively identify and eliminate the Cuban regime’s financial and security interconnections with Iran and other dangerous and hostile states and actors.
It's not every Secretary of State that can cast a sanctions web this wide, catching both commies and jihadis in its netting. But he sure did it, and now State has joined Treasury in putting a big, beautiful financial squeeze on the bad guys.
Marco Rubio has to be the best secretary of state since Cordell Hull. He's certainly leaps and bounds above Antony Blinken, who spent most of his tenure trying to differentiate between his fourth point of contact and his face, or Hillary Clinton, who was only in the role because Barack Obama was a believer in the old axiom, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies, closer." And, as I wrote earlier, I think he'd make a heck of a vice presidential candidate in two more years. He's certainly proved to have the foreign policy acumen and to spare.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats desperately try to stop it.
Help us continue to report on President Trump's successes and combat Democrats' lies. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.