The Pentagon is quietly expanding contingency planning for a possible U.S. military operation in Cuba, preparing options in the event President Donald Trump orders direct intervention on the island, according to USA Today.
In a statement reportedly sent to USA Today, the Pentagon said it “plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to execute the president’s orders as directed.”
A spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees American military operations in Latin America, told The Independent that he was unaware of any plans involving Cuba.
He also pointed to March congressional testimony by Gen. Francis Donovan, the head of SOUTHCOM, in which he said the U.S. is not actively rehearsing or planning for a takeover of Cuba.
The reported U.S. planning comes amid escalating rhetoric from Trump and widening friction between the two countries. The tensions began in January after the administration curbed oil shipments to Cuba as part of a broader pressure campaign aimed at forcing political change on the communist-run government.
According to an Axios report published this week, Washington is also scrutinizing Havana’s ties to Russia. The Trump administration has reportedly informed Congress that Cuba has contributed thousands of fighters for Russia’s war effort and has provided “diplomatic and political support for Moscow.”
Trump previously suggested that the U.S. could take a more direct role in Cuba’s future. At one point, he said he expects soon to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba, in some form.”
On Monday, Trump said the U.S. “may stop by Cuba” after the war in Iran is resolved.
In a recent interview with Newsweek, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel vowed that his country would fight back if the U.S. launched a military attack. “We will battle, we will defend ourselves, and should we fall in battle, to die for the homeland is to live,” Díaz-Canel told the outlet.
