Laura Gamba and Burak Bir
08 May 2026•Update: 08 May 2026
- 'When we finalized that agreement, I do not know why Obama, the EU and the rest of the world decided to ramp up pressure on Iran,' says President Lula
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that US President Donald Trump privately signaled a lack of intent to militarily intervene in Cuba, demonstrating a departure from Trump’s recent statements.
A private shift in tone could pave the way for diplomacy, Lula told reporters at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, DC following a meeting with Trump at the White House.
“I heard—and I hope the translation was correct—him say that he is not thinking about invading Cuba,” Lula shared. “I think that is a significant sign. Cuba wants dialogue; it wants to find a solution to end a blockade that has prevented it from being a truly free country since 1959. It is the longest-lasting blockade in human history.”
The disclosure stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s public rhetoric regarding Cuba. Only weeks ago, on March 16, he said from the White House that he would “have the honor of taking Cuba.”
Lula offered his services to de-escalate tensions between Washington and its long-standing adversaries.
“If you need Brazil to talk to any country about the issue of American interference—whether in Cuba or Iran—Brazil is willing to talk,” he said. “But I came here especially to discuss Brazilian issues.”
Lula also took the opportunity to revive a piece of diplomatic history, revealing that he had once handed President Trump the 2010 nuclear agreement with Iran originally brokered by Brazil.
The Brazilian president expressed frustration over how the Obama administration and European leaders handled the deal.
“Regrettably, when we finalized that agreement, I do not know why the US and the EU decided to instead ramp up the pressure on Iran,” he revealed. “Possibly because the parties who brokered the deal were 'Third World' nations—countries that do not belong to the elite club of global powers.”
Lula also remained firm in his condemnation of global military actions, specifically mentioning the US and Israel.
"I am very critical of the wars fought in the world," he said. "In the same way that I was critical of the war in Ukraine, I am critical of what happened in Gaza, what is happening in Lebanon, and what the United States and Israel did with Iran. I am totally against it."
He said that during the meeting, he handed the agreement reached with Iran in 2010 to Trump once again.
"We, Brazil and Türkiye, managed to convince Iran to accept a revised agreement regarding the non-production of nuclear weapons," he said.
“Regrettably, when we finalized that agreement, I do not know why (then-US President Barack) Obama and the European Union—and the rest of the world—decided to ramp up the pressure on Iran.”
