The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, issued a new and direct from Panama, confirming that Washington is keeping all its options regarding the island open, including military options.
He also stated that Havana would "do well" to pay attention to President Donald Trump's willingness to uphold U.S. strategic interests.
Hegseth responded to a question about the possibility of military action against Cuba during his visit to Panama, where he participated in activities related to U.S. security cooperation with countries in the hemisphere.
"As I have said before, and I believe you have seen what has happened in other cases, all options are on the table, including military options,” he stated.
The question was raised based on the premise that Trump had indicated that "Cuba will be next."
Hegseth did not specify what type of military operation Washington might consider or under what circumstances it would be carried out, but he took the opportunity to send a clear message to the authorities in Havana.
"I believe that Cuba would do well to pay attention to President Trump's willingness to assert the strategic prerogatives of the United States. Certainly, they are no match for the United States of America," stated the official.
Hegseth also linked the situation in Cuba to Washington's objective of limiting the presence of adversarial powers and governments in the Western Hemisphere.
He specifically mentioned Russia, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela, and stated that foreign influence in the region has yielded limited results against the rapprochement of several countries with the United States.
The secretary referred in that context to the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition, also known as Shield of the Americas, an alliance initiated by the Trump administration to strengthen regional cooperation against cartels, narcoterrorism, and the influence of external actors.
The War Department itself uses the abbreviated term «The Triple C» to refer to that coalition.
“The way countries have approached the United States, the A3C, and this alliance shows that they understand where the balance of power lies, especially in this hemisphere,” Hegseth noted, before emphasizing: “And this, without a doubt, also applies to Cuba.”
His conclusion deliberately kept the uncertainty regarding Washington's next moves open: "So we will have many options there and look forward to what is to come."
In another message posted during the visit, he showed his time at the Jungle Operations Training Center and emphasized the training of U.S. and allied personnel.
"Out with our warriors at the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama. No environment is too hostile, no terrain too difficult," he wrote, before declaring himself "incredibly proud" of the joint and allied forces.
The statements about Cuba do not mark the first time Hegseth has publicly hinted at a possible military response.
In June, during a visit to the Guantanamo Naval Base, he stated that the Department of War would be "prepared and positioned for any eventuality" related to the island and asserted that the future of Cuba depended on the decisions of its leaders and the President of the United States.
During that same day, he used the capture of Nicolás Maduro as a warning to Havana and reminded that the Venezuelan leader believed he could challenge the United States, stating that the Russian defenses and the Cuban guards protecting him were "no match" for the American forces during the operation.
Hours later, from the Central Command in Tampa, he warned the regime again that it should not threaten U.S. citizens or territory.
"Don't get involved in that game," he declared, noting that a potential Cuban threat could compel Washington to respond with the options at its disposal.
The tension intensified even further when Hegseth was specifically questioned about the possibility of carrying out an operation similar to the one executed against Maduro against Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The official then responded that there were "options" and that all were on the table, without confirming whether a decision of that kind had been made.
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