US President Donald Trump issued a broad set of threats on Sunday, placing Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Mexico and Iran in his rhetorical crosshairs, in a series of remarks that underscored an increasingly confrontational tone in Washington’s foreign policy messaging.
Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One, Trump suggested that military action against Colombia was a possibility, not because of a specific trigger, but because such an operation “sounds good” to him.
Colombia: “The idea sounds good to me”
Trump accused the Colombian government of allowing drug trafficking to flourish, taking direct aim at Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
“Colombia is very sick too. It is run by a sick guy who likes to make cocaine and sell it to the United States, and he will not be doing that for much longer,” Trump told reporters.
When asked directly whether the United States would carry out a military operation against Colombia, Trump avoided a clear answer, repeating that the idea “sounds good to me”.
The comments come in the wake of the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a raid in Caracas and his transfer to New York, where the Trump administration says it intends to put him on trial on drug trafficking charges.
Cuba: No military action, for now
Turning to Cuba, Trump said that a US military intervention may not be necessary, claiming that the Cuban government appears close to collapse.
He made the remarks again while speaking informally to reporters accompanying him on the presidential aircraft, without offering further details or evidence to support the assessment.
Mexico: “Something has to be done”
On Mexico, the US president said that “something has to be done” if the country does not cooperate with Washington, without specifying whether he was referring to migration, security, or other bilateral issues.
Greenland: Security argument repeated
Trump once again insisted that Greenland should become part of the United States, framing the issue as one of national security.
“We need Greenland from a national security perspective, and Denmark will not be able to hold on to it,” he said, hours after Denmark’s prime minister urged Washington to stop making threats regarding the Arctic territory.
Iran: Warning over protests
The US president also issued a stark warning to Iran, saying the country would face a “very hard” response from the United States if protesters are killed during ongoing demonstrations.
“We are watching it very closely. If they start killing people, as they have done in the past, I think they will be hit very hard by the US,” Trump said.
The protests began on December 28 in Tehran, initially sparked by anger over hyperinflation and economic decline. They have since broadened, with demonstrators voicing political demands.
According to official figures, at least 12 people have been killed since Wednesday, including members of the security forces. The demonstrations are described as the largest since 2022–2023, when hundreds were killed and thousands arrested following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by Iran’s morality police over an alleged dress code violation. The current protests, however, remain more limited in scale.
“We are running Venezuela”
Trump also reiterated his claim that the United States is effectively “running” Venezuela following Maduro’s capture.
Asked whether he had spoken with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, Trump replied cryptically: “Do not ask me who is running the country, because I will give you an answer that will be very controversial.”
Pressed further, he added: “That means we are running it.”
He also claimed that many members of Maduro’s security detail, particularly Cuban nationals, were killed during the operation in Caracas.
“You know, a lot of Cubans were killed,” Trump told reporters, adding that there were “unfortunately many dead on the other side”.
Scepticism over alleged attack on Putin residence
Finally, Trump said he does not believe claims by Moscow that Ukraine launched a drone attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in north-western Russia.
“I do not think that strike happened,” he said, adding that “no one knows yet” whether the Russian allegations, which have been denied by Ukraine, are true.
The comments collectively mark one of Trump’s most expansive sets of foreign policy threats since returning to office, touching multiple regions and signalling a readiness to escalate rhetoric, and potentially action, on several fronts simultaneously.