President Donald Trump's administration will revive Wednesday the annual US tradition of voting against a UN resolution condemning the American trade embargo against Cuba. 

For just over a quarter of a century, Cuba has brought the motion before the General Assembly, and every year, Washington and one or two diehard allies voted against – until last year. Then, former President Barack Obama decided to abstain from the vote, marking with a symbolic gesture the cautious thaw in relations that his White House had begun to negotiate with Raul Castro's government. 

Under Trump, that thaw may be over, even if the neighbors and former Cold War foes have not yet cut off diplomatic ties. 

In any case, on Wednesday the United States and probably Israel will once again be in a minority of two. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that US Ambassador Nikki Haley would oppose the measure to underscore Trump's tough new stance on Cuba.  

"We've historically voted against that resolution. Last year, the United States abstained," she said. "Ambassador Haley will be reversing last year's abstention and will be voting against the resolution this year."

Trump's predecessor Obama, oversaw slowly warming ties with Cuba and Havana, including a reopening of the countries' embassies in Havana and Washington and a careful loosening of the trade embargo. 

But Trump has vowed to enforce more strongly the restrictions on US tourism and trade that had begun to shift, even before a more recent diplomatic spat over alleged attacks on the health of US diplomats in Havana. US officials say that at least 24 diplomats have suffered a variety of problems, including hearing loss and brain trauma, since last year due to "health attacks" that some initially blamed on a covert sonic device. 

After initially cooperating in an investigation, Cuba has angrily denied that the "attacks" took place and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez over the weekend dubbed the claims "political manipulation aimed at damaging bilateral relations."