The sanctions also targeted four other people and five entities, ​including Diaz-Canel’s wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, two members of the ​Castro family, and the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed ⁠Forces.

The Cuban government did not immediately respond to a request ​for comment on the sanctions.

Diaz-Canel, 66, has served as president ​of the Caribbean country since taking over from Raúl Castro, the brother of Cuba’s former leader Fidel Castro, in 2018.

Thursday’s action against Diaz-Canel is the ​latest by Washington to intensify pressure on the island’s communist ​leaders.

The sanctions were announced as President Donald Trump told reporters that the US ‌wanted ⁠Cuba “to be a nicely run country.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the sanctions “despicable” in a post on social media, describing them as the latest example of US interventionism.

“Every US action aimed ​at creating a ​scenario of ⁠conflict between the two countries is doomed to failure,” Rodriguez said.

Last month, the US government imposed sanctions ​on 11 Cuban officials, including the country’s communications ​minister, several ⁠military leaders and its main intelligence agency.

The US also charged Raul Castro with murder for his alleged involvement in a 1996 incident in ⁠which ​Cuban jets shot down planes operated ​by a group of Cuban exiles.