The reverberations of American military assertiveness extend well beyond the Middle East. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel told thousands gathered in Havana to mark the 65th anniversary of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion that his country is “ready” for a possible US attack.
“We don’t want that confrontation, but it is our duty to be ready to avoid it, and if it were unavoidable, to win it,” Díaz-Canel declared. The remarks come after months of mounting pressure from President Trump, who has repeatedly warned that Cuba is “next” — following his administration’s toppling of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the war against Iran. While Washington and Havana have held talks on de-escalating tensions, the discussions between the arch-foes have so far failed to produce significant breakthroughs.
