Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivered a stark warning on Thursday, declaring that while Cuba does not desire military aggression from the United States, the nation is fully prepared to fight if necessary. Speaking at a rally commemorating the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution's socialist essence, Diaz-Canel framed the current moment as "extremely challenging," directly invoking the memory of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. He stated it is Cuba's duty to prepare to confront serious threats, including the possibility of armed conflict, to either avoid or defeat it.

The heightened rhetoric comes amid deepening tensions between the two long-time adversaries. Cuba's ongoing economic and energy crises have been exacerbated by a sustained US blockade. The situation intensified earlier this week when former US President Donald Trump suggested his administration could turn its focus to Cuba following the conclusion of the war in Iran, a statement interpreted in Havana as a direct threat. This has led the Cuban government and its supporters to publicly brace for a potential attack, rallying hundreds in the streets of Havana with images of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.