‘It will fall’: Trump says Cuba facing unprecedented crisis as delegation walks out

United Nations: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Cuba “will fall” as he criticised the communist government in Havana during his address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with the Cuban delegation walking out of the room as he made the remarks.

Trump said his administration was “seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba”, which he described as being run by a “communist regime” facing significant pressure.

“It’s an absolutely failed state. It’s failing like never before, and it will fall,” said Trump.

“Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming to Cuba,” he added.

The Cuban delegation walked out of the room as Trump delivered those remarks.

Trump's comments on Cuba came during a wide-ranging address in which he also focused heavily on Iran and its nuclear programme.

Earlier, Trump said Iran had been “allowed to gather strength at the world’s peril” and defended US action against Tehran, saying Washington had moved to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Addressing the UN, Trump said the US had halted Iran’s “mad dash to a nuclear bomb from behind this ballistic missile shield”.

“If they had succeeded, that wicked regime would have been free to spread terror and death forever”, Trump added.

Trump also said the US Navy had escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, while warning that he faced a decision over whether to reach a deal with Iran or take further military action.

"The United States Navy has recently escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz, and more oil is flowing than at any point since the start of the war. We're taking 22, 25, 30, 32 and 37 ships out, respectively, every single day, every single night.

“But I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?

“But I believe we'll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn't make sense for them not to. They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don't realize is that I'm not running...I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn't even enter my mind. The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."

Trump also warned that the United States would no longer allow threats to gain a foothold in the Western Hemisphere, according to extracts of his speech released by the White House ahead of his address.