Italy-US ties strained as pope and Iran war dominate talks
Rome balances US ties with domestic pressure as the Iran war strains the alliance and fuels economic fallout.
Rome balances US ties with domestic pressure as the Iran war strains the alliance and fuels economic fallout.
![A Havana local smokes a cigar on the Malecón - the city’s waterfront area. Both domestically and abroad, Cuban cigars are becoming an increasingly rare luxury. [Euan Wallace/ Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC02741-1775944580.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
The US blockade is killing not just a failing state, but six decades of a small island extending global solidarity.
Miguel Diaz-Canel vows to resist US pressure as Trump escalates threats, tightens oil blockade on the island.
The Cuban government has led several protests in recent weeks to call on the US to allow oil to arrive to the island.
There have been emotional scenes in Cuba where 2,000 prisoners are being pardoned and released from jail.
Releasing political prisoners in Cuba has long been a US core demand as oil blockade continues.
Announcement comes days after Russian tanker brought some 700,000 barrels of crude to Cuba in response to energy crisis.
Trump administration has denied involvement after Cuban government says a boat of armed men tried to infiltrate island.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also called on the US to lift its energy blockade on the island nation.
Russian tanker delivers enough fuel to meet Cuba’s energy needs for up to 10 days, following a three-month blockade.
From taxi drivers to tour guides, the collapse of Cuba’s tourism industry has left thousands struggling to get by.
![The vessel arrived at Cuba's largest supertanker and fuel storage port at daybreak [File: Norlys Perez/Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-31T130326Z_575094210_RC2NFKA7LTWM_RTRMADP_3_CUBA-CRISIS-RUSSIA-OIL-1774966785.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
