Pentagon Expands Cuba Contingency Planning Amid Tensions

The Pentagon is quietly expanding contingency planning for a possible military operation in Cuba, according to multiple reports citing anonymous U.S. government sources, as tensions between Washington and Havana intensify amid an ongoing U.S. oil blockade and provocative statements from President Donald Trump.

The planning, first detailed in reports from Zeteo and USA Today this week, involves directives from the White House to prepare options should Trump order direct intervention on the island. Officials described the efforts as routine preparations for a range of scenarios, though specifics on the nature of any operation remain unclear. In a statement to USA Today, the Pentagon said it "plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to execute the president's orders as directed." However, Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, testified before Congress last month that the military is not actively rehearsing or preparing for a takeover of Cuba.

The developments follow Trump's recent comments linking potential action in Cuba to the U.S. conflict in Iran. On Monday, Trump told reporters at the White House, "We may stop by Cuba after we're finished with...