Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and discussed plans to use them to attack the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, military vessels, and possibly Key West, Florida, according to classified intelligence cited by Axios.

The Trump administration is reportedly concerned about the development of drone warfare and the presence of Iranian military advisers in Havana. A senior US official told Axios: “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. It's a growing threat.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the United States of fabricating a “fraudulent case” to justify economic sanctions and potential military intervention. In a post on X, he wrote: “With no legitimate excuse whatsoever, the US government is, day after day, building a fraudulent case to justify a ruthless economic war against the Cuban people and an eventual military aggression. Cuba neither threatens nor desires war.”

The Axios report comes amid heightened US pressure on Cuba. Last week, US media reported that the US is taking steps to indict former Cuban President Raul Castro. CIA Director John Ratcliffe also visited the island nation on Thursday, warning Cuba against being a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” according to CBS News.

The Trump administration has also effectively cut off oil shipments to Cuba by threatening tariffs on any country that exports oil to the Caribbean nation, leading to massive power outages. Earlier in May, President Trump said the United States would be “taking over” Cuba “almost immediately.”

Source: www.dw.com