00:26Cuba preparing to target US bases with drones?
00:30That's the explosive concern now emerging from a new intelligence report claiming Cuba
00:36has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and allegedly discussed
00:42using them against American targets.
00:45According to an Axios report citing classified US intelligence, Cuban officials recently discussed
00:52potential drone strikes targeting US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, American naval vessels
00:58in the Caribbean, and even Key West Florida, just 90 miles from Cuban territory.
01:05The report says the drones were acquired gradually since 2023 and include attack-capable systems
01:12with varying operational ranges and payload capacities.
01:16US intelligence believes the drones are stored at strategic locations across the island.
01:21The developments are raising alarm inside Washington because of Cuba's growing military ties
01:28with Russia and Iran, two countries already locked in major geopolitical confrontations
01:34with the United States.
01:36According to the report, Cuban officials have recently sought additional military equipment
01:41from Moscow while also studying Iranian drone warfare tactics used against US forces and allies
01:48in the Middle East.
01:50Iranian military advisers are also believed to have visited Havana in recent months.
01:56What makes the situation especially sensitive is geography.
01:59Key West lies less than 100 miles from Cuba, while Guantanamo Bay remains one of America's
02:06most strategically important military facilities in the Caribbean.
02:11US officials reportedly do not believe Cuba is preparing an immediate attack.
02:16However, intelligence discussions involving potential drone operations against US assets are being
02:23treated seriously due to the rise of low-cost asymmetric warfare.
02:27officials fear that even a country with limited conventional military power could use swarm drones, surveillance
02:35systems, or explosive UAVs to create disruption close to US territory.
02:41The report also links Cuba's expanding drone capabilities to the war in Ukraine.
02:47US intelligence estimates that thousands of Cuban fighters may have served alongside Russian
02:52forces, where drone warfare has become central to modern combat operations.
02:58Some returning fighters reportedly shared battlefield lessons with Cuban leadership.
03:04The situation reportedly became serious enough that CIA director John Ratcliffe traveled to
03:10Havana last week to deliver a direct warning from President Trump.
03:15According to Axios, Ratcliffe told Cuban officials that Cuba can no longer operate as a platform
03:21for America's adversaries, and warned against hostile actions targeting US interests.
03:27Additional US sanctions against Cuba could reportedly be announced soon, while the Justice Department
03:33is also expected to unseal an indictment related to former Cuban leader Raul Castro.
03:40Cuba has denied wrongdoing and accused Washington of manufacturing threats to justify pressure and sanctions.
03:47However, Cuban officials reportedly did not deny possessing the drones themselves.
03:53While many details remain unverified publicly, the report has intensified fears that the growing
03:59alliance between Cuba, Russia, and Iran could open a new security challenge just miles away
04:06from the United States.
04:10Subscribe to One India and never miss an update.
04:15Download the One India app now.
Comments