Cuba Expands Military Cooperation With Iran and Russia

Cuba has acquired more than 300 attack drones from Iran and Russia since 2023. The systems are dispersed across strategic military sites, while Iranian advisers assist Cuban forces in drone operations and asymmetric tactics. Cuban intelligence personnel have also studied Iranian methods refined in conflicts across the Middle East and Ukraine.

These drones operate within the range of Naval Air Station Key West, Guantanamo Bay, and U.S. naval assets throughout the Caribbean.

Cuba's electrical grid is collapsing.

In mid-May, the energy crisis reached a breaking point. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy admitted the regime had effectively exhausted its diesel and fuel oil reserves. Blackouts now last up to 22 hours per day in parts of the island. Daily energy deficits now exceed 1,100 megawatts.

Cuba's grid is surviving on limited domestic crude, natural gas, and renewables. Russian fuel deliveries have slowed, while Venezuelan support largely disappeared. The island continues investing in asymmetric warfare capabilities despite the shortages.

Small attack drones are cheap, difficult to detect at scale, and capable of overwhelming defenses through saturation tactics. Recent conflicts in the Persian Gulf and northern Israel have demonstrated how low-cost drone warfare can challenge advanced militaries.

The southeastern U.S. hosts critical components of America's strategic defense architecture, including submarine support infrastructure, aerospace defense systems, naval logistics hubs, and military transit corridors. Even limited drone harassment targeting fuel depots, radar installations, or maritime routes could disrupt readiness during a regional or global crisis.

Washington still holds leverage. Cuba's economy is deteriorating rapidly, fuel reserves are depleted, and dependence on foreign support has rarely been greater. Officials should tighten sanctions enforcement, pressure third-country suppliers facilitating fuel transfers, expand maritime interdiction efforts, and aggressively target networks supporting Iranian military cooperation on the island.