Iran helps Cuba? US intelligence agencies note ‘growing threat’ from drone buildup amid tensions in Havana: report

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration increasingly views Cuba as a potential security threat after classified intelligence revealed that Havana has purchased more than 300 military drones and discussed possible drone war scenarios involving U.S. targets, Axios reported.Citing classified intelligence and senior U.S. officials, the report said Cuban authorities have recently discussed plans that could involve attacking the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, U.S. warships and even Key West, Florida, in the event of an escalation of hostilities.Axios quoted a senior U.S. official as saying Washington was concerned about “such technology being so close to the United States,” particularly with the alleged presence of Iranian military advisers in Havana and Cuba’s growing defense ties with Russia and Iran.“It’s concerning when we think about how close these types of technologies are, and the range of bad actors from terrorist groups to drug cartels, from the Iranians to the Russians,” the official said.“This is a growing threat.”

CIA director visits Cuba amid mounting pressure

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba on Thursday to warn Cuban officials not to engage in hostilities.He also urged Havana to abandon its “totalitarian government” to end crippling U.S. sanctions.Ratcliffe made clear that “Cuba can no longer serve as a platform for adversaries to advance hostile agendas in our Western Hemisphere,” Axios quoted a CIA official as saying.“The Western Hemisphere cannot become a playground for our adversaries,” the official added.The U.S. Justice Department plans to indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro on charges that in 1996 he shot down two planes operated by the Miami-based rescue group Brothers Rescue.U.S. officials earlier said they planned to prosecute Castro, Reuters reported, a move that would sharply escalate tensions between Washington and Havana.

Cuba denies accusations

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla accused the United States of fabricating a “case of fraud” to justify sanctions and possible military intervention.“Cuba neither threatens nor desires war,” Rodriguez said in a social media post, adding that Cuba was prepared to respond to external aggression based on its “legitimate right to self-defense recognized in the United Nations Charter.”The Cuban Embassy also issued a statement on X day saying that the island has the right to defend itself against foreign aggression. However, it did not directly deny having attack drones.

Drone war concerns ties with Russia

Since 2023, Cuba has been purchasing attack drones from Russia and Iran and storing them at strategic locations across Cuba. The report also said that Cuban officials are studying Iran’s strategies to resist U.S. pressure.Iran’s recent use of drones amid tensions with the United States and Israel in the Middle East has raised heightened concerns about drone warfare.Axios further reported that U.S. officials believe thousands of Cuban soldiers have fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, with some bringing back knowledge about the effectiveness of drone warfare.Despite these concerns, U.S. officials have said they do not believe Cuba poses an imminent military threat comparable to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.A senior official said “no one is worried about fighter jets coming from Cuba” but added that the island’s proximity to the United States remained a major concern.