The United States announced, on Tuesday, tightening its sanctions on Cuba, by imposing additional restrictions on some financial transactions and the travel of American citizens to the communist-ruled island.
Under the new sanctions announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury, indirect financial transactions with sanctioned Cuban entities were prohibited, in particular those linked to the security services and the “GAISA” group, the economic conglomerate affiliated with the Cuban army.
Also banned were so-called “U-Turn” transactions, which allowed US banks to process dollar payments linked to Cuba, provided that the source and destination of the funds were outside the United States and did not involve US citizens.
The new sanctions cancel the license that allowed American banks to “open and maintain bank accounts in the name of a Cuban citizen who works as an independent entrepreneur in the private sector.”
Cuban private entrepreneurs were allowed access to the US banking system during the era of former President Joe Biden.
Under these changes, cultural exchange trips, or what is known as “people-to-people communication” programs, in addition to conferences and business meetings, now require obtaining a prior license.
Relations between Havana and Washington have witnessed great tension since Trump returned to power.
The Republican president asserts that Cuba, located 150 kilometers from the coast of Florida, represents an “exceptional threat” to the national security of the United States, and has repeatedly vowed to control it.
Washington, which has declared its desire to change the regime in Cuba, has been preventing the entry of oil imports to the island, which has a population of 9.4 million, since January, causing a severe economic crisis.
Republican senators in the United States, on Tuesday, blocked an effort aimed at obliging the administration of President Donald Trump to submit a report to Congress on the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including the killing of American citizens.
This procedural vote represents the latest indication of the disagreement between Democrats in the United States and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, and of continued strong support from Republicans for his coalition.
47 senators supported the resolution while 51 rejected it. All Republicans voted no except Rand Paul from Kentucky, while all Democrats voted in favor except John Fetterman from Pennsylvania.
The decision would have required the State Department to submit a report to Congress regarding the killing of Americans at the hands of settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank, and to evaluate the human rights situation.
Violence committed by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated sharply this year.
Although the decision would not have led to cutting off aid to Israel, which is the largest recipient of US foreign aid overall since World War II, the administration's failure to submit the report could have led to restrictions on aid.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the main sponsor of the measure, said that looking into the human rights situation in the West Bank is something that “should have happened a long time ago,” including looking into the killing of nine Americans since 2022.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that recipients of American taxpayer money act in accordance with our laws and values,” he said in a statement, referring to Israel.
Republicans accused Democrats of seeking political gains at a time when Israel is under threat, seven months after US and Israeli forces launched air strikes that led to the outbreak of the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Steve Daines, Republican Senator from Montana, said in a speech, “I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution so that we can stand by our ally Israel as it repels the scourge of terrorism supported by Iran.”
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The vote came weeks before the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3, which opinion polls indicate could lead to Republicans losing the majority in Congress, heralding a possible shift in US policy towards Israel in the new Congress.
Opinion polls indicate that war with Iran is unpopular with Americans, who are frustrated by the high energy prices resulting from the conflict.
Netanyahu, who has always sided with American Republicans, faces elections in Israel on October 27, and opinion polls indicate that his right-wing coalition may lose them.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The United Nations and most countries consider settlements there illegal under international law governing military occupation. Israel rejects this, and considers the lands disputed, not occupied.
Some Democrats - and a few Republicans - have called for restrictions on military aid to Israel because of the way it has waged the war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduced large areas of the Strip to rubble.
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that Boeing has been selected to develop the next generation of attack fighters for the US Navy, as part of a contract worth $20 billion.
The Pentagon explained in a statement that the company will produce, under the new contract, “F/A-XX” combat aircraft, or what are known as “attack fighters,” within the framework of the “Next Generation Air Dominance” program. He added that the new fighters will replace the current fleet of Super Hornet aircraft, starting at the beginning of the next decade.
This is the second time that the US Department of Defense has chosen Boeing to develop a sixth-generation weapons system during Trump's second term, after it won in March 2025 a contract to develop a new stealth fighter.
“Developing two advanced fighters in parallel has always been part of our plan,” said Steve Parker, President of Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security Unit, indicating the company’s readiness and ability to “develop several models of combat aircraft at the same time.”
For his part, US Undersecretary of Defense Michael Duffy considered that the “F/A-XX project constitutes a critical investment in US national security and future air combat capabilities,” noting that the Pentagon is working with Boeing to deploy and operate these capabilities.
Boeing explained that construction work is continuing at its “safe manufacturing” facility in St. Louis, which it said is the largest of its kind in the United States.
The company added that “the technical and organizational details of the F/A-XX program remain classified under US national security and export control laws.”
Boeing was competing for the contract with Northrop Grumman.
Northrop Grumman said on Tuesday that it had “offered to the US Navy, within the framework of the F/A-XX program, a sixth-generation fighter with high survivability in combat environments and advanced digital technologies,” adding that it was looking forward to obtaining more information regarding the selection decision.
Boeing shares rose 2.4 percent in after-hours trading, while Northrop Grumman shares fell 3.6 percent.
