Fresh tensions erupted between Washington and Havana after US intelligence claims linked Cuba’s growing drone programme to possible threats near Florida and Guantanamo Bay.
Fresh tensions have emerged between Washington and Havana after US intelligence claims linked Cuba to an expanding military drone programme.
Washington’s claims that Cuba has quietly expanded its military drone capabilities have triggered a fresh diplomatic flashpoint, with Havana accusing the United States of manufacturing a crisis to justify tougher sanctions and possible intervention.
The latest tensions come as the Trump administration sharpens its posture against Cuba, citing classified intelligence that allegedly points to growing military cooperation between Havana, Iran and Russia. The developments have also revived Cold War-era anxieties in Washington because of Cuba’s proximity to the US mainland and the strategic importance of the Guantanamo Bay naval base.
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According to intelligence details shared with Axios, Cuban officials have discussed contingency plans involving drone attacks targeting the US naval facility at Guantanamo Bay, American military vessels and even Key West in Florida, located roughly 90 miles from Havana. US officials, however, reportedly do not believe Cuba is preparing for any immediate strike.
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The report claimed Cuba had acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and distributed them across strategic locations on the island. US officials cited in the report also alleged that Cuban intelligence authorities were studying Iranian military tactics and the effectiveness of drone warfare.
A senior US official told Axios that Washington viewed the developments with increasing concern because of the growing role of drones in modern conflicts and the presence of Iranian military advisers in Cuba.
“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,” the official was quoted as saying.
Cuba strongly pushed back against the claims on Sunday, accusing the US of attempting to create a false narrative.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Havana neither threatened nor sought war and maintained that the country’s military preparations were purely defensive.
“Cuba neither threatens nor desires war,” Rodriguez said in a statement posted on social media, adding that the island was preparing to confront “external aggression” under its right to self-defence recognised by the UN Charter.
Sin excusa legítima alguna, el gobierno de #EEUU construye, día tras día, un expediente fraudulento para justificar la guerra económica despiadada contra el pueblo cubano y la eventual agresión militar.
Medios de prensa específicos le hacen el juego, promoviendo calumnias y…
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) May 17, 2026
Reuters reported that Rodriguez described the allegations as part of a “fraudulent case” being built to justify economic sanctions and possible military action against Cuba.
The Cuban embassy earlier issued a separate statement saying every country had the right to defend itself and accused Washington of “fabricating pretexts” and spreading falsehoods to portray Cuba as a threat.
Notably, the Cuban statements did not directly deny possessing military drones.
The diplomatic friction intensified after CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently travelled to Cuba for rare high-level talks with Cuban officials.
According to Axios, Ratcliffe warned Cuban authorities against engaging in any hostile activity and reportedly told them the island could no longer serve as a platform for America’s adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.
The visit came ahead of expected action by the US Department of Justice, which is reportedly preparing to unseal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two aircraft operated by Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Reuters reported that US officials believe the indictment could become a major escalation in the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist government.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also raised concerns during a congressional hearing last week, saying Washington had long viewed foreign intelligence and military activity in Cuba as a security challenge because of the island’s location close to US shores.
The Axios report further claimed Russia and China operate advanced signals intelligence facilities in Cuba.
American officials have reportedly grown more cautious about drone threats following Iran’s use of unmanned aircraft in recent regional conflicts. US officials cited in the report said Cuban soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine may also have gained operational insights into modern drone warfare.
The report estimated that thousands of Cuban troops had been deployed in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims made by Axios.
Despite the alarm within sections of the US administration, officials quoted in the report acknowledged that Cuba does not currently pose the kind of military threat seen during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
“No one’s worried about fighter jets from Cuba. It’s not even clear they have one that can fly,” a senior US official told Axios.
“But it’s worth noting how close they are — 90 miles. It’s not a reality we are comfortable with.”
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