Amid the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, the Cuban state media has launched a markedly biased coverage, omitting Israel's tactical and military advancements and instead promoting a narrative of "victories" for Iran based on sources aligned with Tehran such as Al Mayadeen and TeleSur.
This media strategy not only responds to ideological interests but also to a strategic alliance between the regimes of Iran and Cuba, which share authoritarian stances, practices of internal censorship, and alliances with powers like Russia and China, as well as satellites such as Venezuela or the defeated regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria.
Misinformation as a Propaganda Weapon
On platforms like Facebook, the Cuban official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso has systematically shared triumphalist messages of Iranian and pro-Iranian origin.
Among their recent publications, prominent phrases include: "Iran launched drones and an undetectable missile that evaded Israel's air defenses" and that "the Zionist air defense fails to intercept the Iranian missiles."
Alleged successes were also reported, such as the "ninth wave of Operation Promesa Veraz 3" and the claim that Iranian missiles "struck Israel's command and control systems," causing internal chaos.
These statements, without independent verification, are reproduced by affiliated media such as TeleSur and Al Mayadeen TV Español, and have served as a platform to spread the narrative of an alleged Israeli weakness in the face of the Iranian offensive.
In the same vein, media outlets like the National Television News (NTV) in Cuba have accused Tel Aviv of "massacres," failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets, which contradicts the precision strikes by aviation and Iranian missiles, which have minimal impact on the population, in contrast to Iran's indiscriminate launches against civilian settlements in Israel.
Perhaps for this reason, during his visit to Havana in November 2024, the Iranian Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Dr. Seyed Sattar Hashemi stated that he felt “like at home.”
In a meeting held with the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, the official conveyed a message of solidarity and brotherhood from the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, towards the Cuban regime.
Far from being coincidental, this familiarity is based on a deep ideological affinity and a political collaboration that has strengthened in response to the condemnations from the international community, as well as a mutual rejection of democratic values and a shared preference for authoritarian control.
The strategic alliance between Cuba and Iran
This informational manipulation does not occur in a vacuum. Cuba and Iran have strengthened their bilateral relationship in recent years, especially after the visit of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Havana in 2023.
During that meeting, agreements on cooperation in science, technology, health, and cyber defense were signed. Both governments align in international forums against what they call "imperialism" and mutually defend their authoritarian agendas.
The intervention of the Cuban ambassador in Geneva, Rodolfo Benítez Verson, during the recent UN Disarmament Conference, is a clear reflection of this stance: he accused Israel of acting “with impunity” and defended Iran's right to the “peaceful use of nuclear energy,” without mentioning the Persian regime's history of non-compliance with the IAEA.
The systematic omission of facts and the inversion of responsibilities in the conflict demonstrate how the Cuban regime acts as an international spokesperson for the ayatollahs' regime.
The real context of the conflict: What the state-run media doesn't tell
Contrary to what is being reported by Cuban and pro-Iranian media, the reality on the ground has been much more favorable to Israel.
Since June 13, 2025, Israel has launched an unprecedented offensive against Iran, under the operation named "Rising Lion." According to Israeli military sources, they have managed to eliminate a third of the Iranian missiles, disable the bulk of their air and anti-air defense, and achieve control of their airspace.
According to reports from international media such as CBS, The Guardian, AP News, and The Washington Post, Israel has destroyed at least four key facilities of the Iranian nuclear program in Natanz, Arak, and Fordow, rendered several air defense systems inoperable, and eliminated high-level figures from the Iranian military apparatus, such as Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and Commander Hossein Salami.
The offensive has included the deployment of more than 200 aircraft, including F-35I Adir fighters, Jericho III ground-to-ground missiles, as well as coordinated cyber attacks that paralyzed electrical networks linked to nuclear development sites. According to Reuters and The Guardian, Israel managed to penetrate the Bavar-373 missile defense system, considered the Iranian equivalent of the Russian S-300.
The Israeli attacks also prompted the partial evacuation of government facilities in Tehran and Tabriz, while Iranian forces have failed to regain the military initiative or provide verifiable evidence of having destroyed strategic Israeli targets.
Even the Iranian state television suffered a direct attack that was broadcast live during a transmission, demonstrating Israel's ability to strike at the heart of Tehran's propaganda apparatus.
The disconnect between propaganda and facts
While international media show satellite images of the destruction in Iran and gather reactions from global leaders, in Cuba, the official press insists on glorifying the supposed Iranian resistance.
Such informational dissonance has a clear objective: to maintain the image that the allies of the Cuban regime are not vulnerable, when in reality, they are suffering significant military defeats.
The posts by Alonso, who has directed the Noon News, and the narrative of the NTV avoid any reference to the military, scientific, or symbolic losses that Iran is facing, and only reiterate Iranian military statements that have not been verified or corroborated.
The risk is twofold: not only is the Cuban population misinformed, but it also reinforces the view that criticism of these governments comes only from the "external enemy," thus justifying internal repression.
A call for plural journalism
The conflict between Iran and Israel is not just a military war, but also a battle for the truth. And in this arena, Cubans are being deliberately misinformed.
The ideological and strategic links between Havana, Tehran, and Moscow, along with the alliance with Venezuelan chavismo that also disseminates messages from Al Mayadeen and HispanTV, explain this bias.
In light of this situation, the need for journalism that contrasts narratives has never been greater. It is essential to seek the truth beyond slogans and to provide Cubans with the opportunity to form opinions based on verifiable facts rather than on propaganda.
The war in the Middle East has global consequences. And the role of the media in Cuba—whether through action or inaction—contributes to keeping the country anchored in a manipulated view of the world.
CiberCuba, as an independent media outlet, reaffirms its commitment to the truth, to the diversity of voices, and to the right of Cuban citizens to be fully and responsibly informed.
Filed under: