During a visit to the US base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday further ramped up the pressure on the socialist Caribbean island.
"What happens with the future of Cuba is in the hands of our of the President of the United States and the leadership of Cuba," asserted Hegseth, who the Trump administration refers to as the Secretary of War.
"No matter what - the Department of War is going to be prepared and postured for any possible contingency, we're here to talk about that today, and then do a little PT," he added.
One of the reasons for being there today was to discuss this, Hegseth told the soldiers, whom he later joined for physical fitness training.
Relations between Washington and Havana have long been strained - but under US President Donald Trump, tensions have increased significantly once again.
In order to force economic and political change in Cuba in the interests of the US, Trump's administration has increased the pressure on Havana with numerous measures, including a series of new sanctions and an oil embargo.
Time and again, the pressure campaign has also raised concerns about a possible military escalation. At the same time, talks between Washington and Havana have been taking place for months.
The Guantánamo Bay military base is located on the south-eastern coast of Cuba. The territory has been under US control since 1903 due to a controversial lease agreement.
Since the victory of the Cuban Revolution under Fidel Castro in 1959, Cuba has regarded the open-ended agreement as invalid. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001, the US established a controversial detention camp in Guantánamo.
