Cuba: US Strike Would Have 'Incalculable Consequences'

Cuba's president is warning that any US strike on the island would end in a "bloodbath" and shake regional stability, addressing reports of a possible attack. Miguel Diaz-Canel took to X on Monday to say Cuba "poses no threat, nor does it have aggressive plans or intentions against any country," after Axios cited classified US intelligence alleging the island nation has amassed more than 300 military drones and discussed using them against the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, US ships, and even Florida's Key West, per Reuters.

Cuban officials accuse Washington of inventing a pretext for possible military action. "The threat itself already constitutes an international crime," Diaz-Canel wrote online, warning of "incalculable consequences" if a strike were indeed carried out. In Havana, residents voiced both defiance and fatigue, per Reuters. Some said they would fight "hungry or however it may be," while others urged the two governments to negotiate rather than invade. The flare-up comes as Cuba endures severe fuel shortages and rolling blackouts after the US blocked its energy supplies following the arrest of Venezuela's president, a key ally.

Tensions were already surging: Reuters reported last week that US prosecutors plan to indict 94-year-old Raul Castro over Cuba shooting down two planes in 1996, a move that would significantly raise pressure on Havana. Cuba's foreign minister countered that the country, "like every nation in the world," has a right to defend itself under international law. The AP offers a timeline for the escalating tensions between the US and Cuba over the past few months.