'We will deal with it': Trump confirms US probe into Iranian drones in Cuba

US President Donald Trump confirmed from the Oval Office on Monday that the United States is investigating reports of possible Iranian drone storage in Cuba. When asked by reporters about an unpublished intelligence report, he bluntly replied: "If they have them, and it's very possible that they do, we'll take care of it." Trump also suggested the island might be storing Iranian missiles, saying his administration is "looking into that right now."

Trump provided no evidence — no photographs, intelligence documents, or details on the number, model, or location of the alleged equipment. The question came from a journalist working for a conservative-leaning media outlet, referring to a previously unreported report. The president also noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in an adjoining room, implying the matter was already on the State Department's agenda.

So far, only the launch of a review has been confirmed — not that the weapons exist or pose an imminent threat. Cuba has not yet commented.

Sanctions and historical context

Trump's remarks come amid growing pressure on Havana. The State Department announced it was designating 14 entities linked to the Cuban government as part of an initiative to curb what it calls "the malign activities of the Cuban regime," including fuel traders and business groups. In June, sanctions had already targeted Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, several family members, and Colonel Alejandro Castro Espín.

In addition to the decades-old embargo, the administration has imposed an energy blockade since the start of the year, which Cuban authorities link to nationwide blackouts, the latest occurring last Friday.

An Axios analysis cited by multiple outlets claims Cuba has acquired over 300 military drones of Russian and Iranian origin since 2023, and that the Revolutionary Armed Forces are studying their potential use against US targets such as the Guantánamo Bay naval base or facilities in Key West. The report itself warns that portraying armed drones as defensive assets is a distortion of language, emphasizing that their deployment resulted from years of planning, not an improvised response to recent tensions.