The television network includes among the U.S. options an operation “carried out by the 101st Airborne Division.”
14ymedio, Madrid, July 16, 2026 – Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has described CBS News as an “unofficial mouthpiece of the U.S. government,” accusing the network of “beating the drums of war against Cuba.” On Wednesday, CBS published a report citing Pentagon sources about possible military plans against the Island. Although it was presented as an exclusive, it did not actually reveal anything new beyond what had already been stated: that Washington is keeping all options on the table.
“They do not even question what sufficient reason there could be to lead to a scenario that could end in a bloodbath against a country that has neither attacked, threatened, nor caused the slightest harm to the world’s greatest nuclear power,” he wrote on his Facebook account.
CBS News cited U.S. officials as saying that military planners have examined “various options for possible action against the island, including an Army-led air assault involving thousands of U.S. troops carried out by the 101st Airborne Division, the only unit trained for such a mission.” The sources emphasized that no orders have been issued and there is nothing to suggest such an attack will take place, especially since the military is focused on Iran.
The sources emphasized that no orders have been issued and there is nothing to suggest such an attack will take place, especially since the military is focused on Iran
This idea had already been raised in April, when USA Today reported an intensification of “military planning for a possible operation in Cuba should President Donald Trump order an intervention.” In June, during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the Guantánamo Naval Base, he insisted that regardless of the decision made, his department would be “ready and prepared for any possible contingency.”
The CBS News report revisits and expands on this idea, which Brian Fonseca, director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University, previously described as a “communications strategy.” According to the article, written by four reporters, the U.S. armed forces held a briefing in late June “to review initial military planning options for specific missions that could be carried out.” The report notes that such briefings are routine at these meetings and examine mission objectives, required troop levels, the sequence of events, logistical considerations, and associated risks.
Since the Pentagon has shifted significant military and intelligence resources to the Middle East because of the war with Iran, the sources told CBS that “it is unlikely that attention will be focused on Cuba.”
The network argues that the renewed operations in the Middle East are part of Hegseth’s more hawkish strategy, which has reportedly led to disagreements with Trump. According to White House sources, the president is frustrated by how poorly the operation has gone and believes that earlier this year the U.S. should have accepted a proposal from Tehran to limit its nuclear program. At the time, against the advice of General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the defense secretary favored military action, which has proven to be longer and more complicated than expected.
CBS, citing its sources, also reports that Trump is dissatisfied with the entire department, including Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, whom he accuses of overstating U.S. military capabilities against Iran. Officially, however, the White House continues to express unwavering support for Hegseth and his team.
CBS, citing its sources, also reports that Trump is dissatisfied with the entire department, including Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, whom he accuses of overstating U.S. military capabilities against Iran
The report also discusses the new development involving the alleged 300 Iranian drones that Cuba is said to possess and goes on to list the major events of the year so far, beginning with Nicolás Maduro’s fall in Venezuela, followed by the prosecution of Raúl Castro over the shootdown of the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft, and, of course, the series of sanctions imposed on the Cuban regime and its principal business interests.
“The intelligence community’s 2026 Annual Threat Assessment describes Cuba primarily as a favorable environment for larger geopolitical competitors rather than as an independent strategic threat. Notably, the March assessment does not identify Cuba as possessing military capabilities that materially threaten the United States. It does not portray Havana as an independent driver of instability,” the report adds.
Regarding negotiations, CBS News continues to regard them as the preferred option not only for Trump but also for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading the talks. However, the situation remains deadlocked.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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