Senior Pentagon officials are reviewing military options for Cuba as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Havana’s communist government.
According to CBS News, the planning reportedly includes a possible Army-led air assault involving thousands of U.S. troops from the 101st Airborne Division.
Officials stressed that no operation has been approved and that the discussions remain at the contingency-planning stage.
The review follows months of escalating pressure on the communist regime.
The Pentagon is looking at possible military options against Cuba, U.S. officials say. https://t.co/cJPuEVcPif
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 15, 2026
President Trump restored Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism after returning to office, expanded restrictions on travel and financial transactions, and targeted the military-controlled conglomerate GAESA, which dominates much of the island’s hard-currency economy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pushed for a negotiated transition to a reform-minded government, but talks have stalled.
In a recent statement, Rubio said Cuba’s ruling elite continues to maintain “total control” while clinging to a “morally bankrupt Marxist ideology.”
🚨 WOW! US defense officials are reportedly examining CUBA military options, including the possibility of surging the Army’s 101st Airborne Division — CBS
No operation has been decided on yet, but pressure is RAMPING UP on the Communists to allow a new form of government that… pic.twitter.com/BYph2IFH0I
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 15, 2026
The State Department has also imposed new restrictions on Cuban state entities accused of funding security forces and paramilitary groups used to suppress dissent.
Military planners reportedly held a concept-of-operations briefing late last month to assess potential missions, troop requirements, logistics, and risks.
Any move against Cuba would compete with ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran, which have already drawn aircraft, intelligence assets, and other resources into the Middle East.
Cuba has also raised new security concerns after obtaining attack drones of unknown origin and deepening ties with the likes of Russia, China, and Iran.
During a June visit to Guantanamo Bay, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Havana against acquiring weapons capable of threatening the U.S. base or the American homeland.
“It would be unwise for the government of Cuba to try to procure or get access to the types of weapons that could reach this base or the American homeland,” Hegseth said.
“They would be inviting the kind of confrontation not only do they not want, but they could not stand.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has arrived at Guantanamo Bay as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Cuba. pic.twitter.com/TQ13jpinYn
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 10, 2026
Back in May, the Department of Justice indicted former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro and five others over the 1996 shootdown of two American civilian aircraft.
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