US Considers Threat of Drone Attacks from Cuba
According to AFP, reported on Monday (18/5/2026), the United States may be building a pretext for military action against the communist-led island.
This development reflects the Trump administration’s concerns about the threat posed by Cuba due to the proliferation of drone warfare and the presence of Iranian military advisors in Havana, a senior US official told Axios.
“When we think about that kind of technology being so close, and various bad actors from terrorist groups to drug cartels, Iran to Russia, it’s concerning,” said the unnamed official. “It’s an evolving threat.”
Cuba is alleged to have acquired attack drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and is now seeking to purchase more, the US official told Axios.
Havana has denounced the reports, describing the United States as the aggressor while Cuba is the victim.
“The anti-Cuban campaign aimed at justifying, without any basis, a military attack against Cuba is increasing hour by hour with increasingly absurd accusations,” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said on platform X.
“The United States is the aggressor. Cuba is a country that has been attacked and acts in self-defense.”
The report comes just days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Havana, as Cubans experience prolonged power outages due to a fuel blockade imposed by President Donald Trump.
According to Axios, Ratcliffe warned officials in Havana against engaging in hostile acts.
“Director Ratcliffe made it clear that Cuba can no longer be a platform for adversaries to carry out hostile agendas in our hemisphere,” said an unnamed CIA official, as quoted by Axios.
The communist island has been at odds with successive US administrations since the 1960s, while the southern US state of Florida is home to a large and politically influential Cuban exile community.
Earlier this month, Trump said the United States would “take over” the Caribbean island, which is just 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Florida, “very quickly.”
Trump also said that after a US military operation to oust longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Cuba would be the next target.
US media has also reported that US authorities are seeking to indict Raul Castro, brother of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who is now 94 years old. (aik/aik)