The US military surveillance missions over the waters off Cuba have been greatly intensified since early February in a way that is typical of the build up to American military action in both Venezuela and Iran.
While President Donald Trump also turned down Tehran’s most recent proposal for a ceasefire amid reports of a new round of drone attacks by Gulf nations.
According to an analysis based on publicly accessible aviation data, between 4 February and the present date, at least 25 surveillance sorties by the US Navy and Air Force were spotted flying over areas close to Cuba, with some getting as close as about 65 kilometers from the Cuban coast.
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The same fleet of planes operated off Venezuela in the months leading up to the U.S. special forces raid that captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas in early January, and again off Iran’s southern coast in the weeks before the joint American and Israeli strikes on February 28.
The Pentagon would not comment. Trump has rolled back Obama’s efforts to restore ties with Havana, reimposed sanctions and declared Cuba a national security threat
Cuban officials have rejected that description, saying they remain open to talks while threatening to mount a long-term insurgency if attacked.
Hormuz crisis deepens
The Cuban revelations came amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
On Sunday, Trump dismissed a written message from Tehran in response to the new proposal to resolve the two month old dispute, stating on Truth Social that he found the message “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”.
The Iranian state media reported that the letter had been delivered through Pakistani intermediaries and that Iran had repeated its earlier offer to continue the ceasefire in exchange for opening up the Strait of Hormuz and further discussions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a defiant statement on X: “We will never bow our heads before the enemy, but we defend our national interests with power.”
Financial markets responded swiftly. Brent crude futures rose by more than 3% on Sunday to trade at around $104.50 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures rose to about $98.48.
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According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of gasoline in the United States is $4.52 a gallon.
The diplomatic blow came as attacks on Gulf shipping and territory continued.
A drone hit a commercial vessel coming from Abu Dhabi about 43 kilometres north east of Doha, Qatar’s defence ministry said, causing a small fire that was contained and no casualties.
The UAE said it intercepted two drones launched from Iran, and Kuwait said it had hostile drones in its airspace.
No one claimed responsibility. “dangerous and unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and safety of maritime trade routes” in the region, Qatar’s foreign ministry said of the ship strike.
