![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/101.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
A U.S. Air Force Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk from the 101st Airborne Division at the scene of an air attack demonstration commemorating Operation Market Garden in The Netherlands.<\/p>\n
Mirrorimage-NL<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Military planners at the Pentagon have been developing options for strikes against Cuba, including plans for an air assault spearheaded by the 101st Airborne Division involving several thousand U.S. troops.<\/p>\n
According to a CBS report on Thursday<\/a>, in late June the U.S. military held \u201ca concept-of-operations briefing to discuss early-stage military planning options for select missions that could be carried out,\u201d unnamed U.S. officials told the media outlet. These assessments, which are standard procedure for the Defense Department, cover everything from mission goals and manpower requirements to logistical hurdles and potential risks.<\/p>\n The officials told CBS that the briefing do not mean President Donald Trump has made the decision to attack the communist run-island and that an imminent attack was unlikely given the U.S. military entanglement in Iran. Military experts have previously told the Miami Herald that the Pentagon routinely drafts plans to give the president a range of options to attain foreign policy goals.<\/p>\n The 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is specialized in rapid deployment and air assault operations. \u201cWith the capability to execute large-scale long-range air assault missions across 500 nautical miles, often under the cover of darkness, the division ensures dominance on the battlefield,\u201d its website says.<\/p>\n For months, president Donald Trump has been talking about \u201ctaking Cuba\u201d and the administration has signaled it is contemplating military options in case diplomacy fails.<\/p>\n On Monday, Trump said the administration was looking into reports that Cuba had acquired drones from Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they have them, and it\u2019s very possible that they do, we\u2019ll take care of it,\u201d he said. Citing intelligence reports, the Axios news website had previously reported<\/a> that Cuba had acquired about 300 drones from Russia and China. Cuba has not denied the claim but has denied it is planning to attack U.S. targets.<\/p>\n Cuban leader Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel has vowed to resist a military aggression.<\/p>\n Reports of the large scale air assault plan comes as the administration is ramping up pressure on the Cuban government to make economic and political reforms.<\/p>\n Under an executive order Trump signed in May 2026 targeting those responsible for repression in Cuba, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has steadily widened the sanctions list to target the government\u2019s main sources of revenue.<\/p>\n Entities recently sanctioned include Cuba\u2019s Ministry of Tourism, the country\u2019s main energy company Cupet, and GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls about 40% of the country\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_87_Nora_Gamez_Torres_2_1_QUBULALR_L329712315.jpeg\")