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Drones and strike talk
Classified intelligence cited by Axios, as described by DW, says Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and that Cuba discussed plans to use them to attack the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, military vessels, and possibly Key West, Florida.
“Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones”
DW reports that a senior US official said, "When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it's concerning," adding, "It's a growing threat."
The Hindu similarly says the Axios report described Cuba obtaining more than 300 military drones and beginning discussions to use them to attack the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. military vessels and possibly even Florida.
The Kyiv Independent adds that Havana has already purchased over 300 Russian and Iranian drones of "varying capabilities," storing the weapons in various locations across the country.
In response, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused the United States of fabricating a "fraudulent case" to justify economic sanctions and potential military intervention, writing that "Cuba neither threatens nor desires war."
Backlash and denials
NBC 6 South Florida reports that Bruno Rodríguez said, "certain media outlets are playing along, peddling slander and leaking insinuations from the U.S. government itself," and he insisted, "Cuba neither threatens nor wants war."
NBC 6 South Florida also says Rodríguez reiterated that the island has the right to exercise "the legitimate self-defense recognized by the U.N. Charter," and it quotes the Cuban Embassy in the United States saying, "Like any country, Cuba has the right to defend itself against external aggressions."
The same NBC 6 South Florida account includes Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar saying that "the world has already seen what hostile regimes can do with drones," and that capabilities in the hands of the Cuban regime "should concern every American."
The Kyiv Independent frames the US stance by quoting a senior US official saying, "No one's worried about fighter jets from Cuba. It's not even clear they have one that can fly," while adding that it is "worth noting how close they are — 90 miles."
In the left-leaning backlash described by Newsweek, the Cuban Embassy in the United Kingdom wrote on X that "@Axios fabricates a 'drone threat', only to confess paragraphs later: 'US officials don't believe Cuba is actively planning to attack.'"
Pressure, indictments, and risk
DW says the Axios report comes as the US mounts pressure on Cuba, including steps to indict Raul Castro, and it also notes that CIA director John Radcliffe visited the island last Thursday.
“a "safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere"”
DW reports that CBS News cited an unnamed CIA official as saying Radcliffe warned Cuba against being a "safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere," and it adds that the Trump administration has effectively cut off oil shipments to Cuba by threatening tariffs on any country that exports oil to the Caribbean nation.
The Jerusalem Post adds that the report mentioned US intelligence indicating that as many as 5,000 Cuban soldiers have fought for Russia in the war in Ukraine, and it says Moscow reportedly paid Havana about $25,000 a head for the soldiers deployed to Ukraine.
The Department of Justice is described by Türkiye Today as expected Wednesday to unseal an indictment of Raul Castro for allegedly ordering the 1996 downing of two planes flown by the Miami-based aid group Brothers to the Rescue.
Türkiye Today also quotes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart during a congressional hearing Tuesday, "We’ve long been concerned that a foreign adversary using that kind of location that close to our shores is highly problematic," while noting that U.S. officials do not believe Cuba poses an imminent threat or is actively planning to attack American interests.
