The Globalist Mexico calls off oil shipment to Cuba and US escalates Iran strike threats
Jan 29, 2026
Tom Webb, Monocle editor who curates the magazine’s features, and Vincent McIverney, newspaper reviewer and political commentator, join Inzaman Rashid, Gulf correspondent reporting on US-Iran tensions, and Antonio Sampaio, Latin America security analyst on Mexico’s halt to oil shipments to Cuba. They unpack Mexico’s domestic and US pressure angles, the humanitarian fallout for Cuba, and the US military buildup and escalation risks with Iran.
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Mexico's Oil Halt Signals US Influence
- Mexico's cancellation of an oil shipment to Cuba is widely seen as yielding to US pressure rather than a purely sovereign choice.
- Antonio Sampaio warns this shift risks a humanitarian crisis and boosts US influence in the region if suppliers stop supporting Cuba.
Regime Change Without Troops
- The Trump administration reframes 'regime change' to include pressure and blockades rather than only military invasion.
- Sampaio notes this strategy risks humanitarian fallout and refugee flows that would reflect poorly on the US.
Visible Military Buildup Near Iran
- The US has deployed a significant naval and air build-up near Iran, signalling credible military options.
- Inzamam Rashid says the presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln and destroyers makes the threat more than rhetoric.
