Tensions between Cuba and the United States have intensified following the publication of emergency civil defence guidelines in Cuba and reports about military drones allegedly linked to Havana. The developments have sparked concern and confusion among many Cubans already facing economic hardship and shortages across the country.

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that the country does not seek confrontation but warned that any U.S. military action would lead to a “bloodbath.”

Cuba has reportedly acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran, according to classified intelligence cited by Axios, raising concerns within the administration of US President Donald Trump over potential escalation in the Caribbean region.

The head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, has made a rare visit to Cuba, delivering a message from the United States that Washington is prepared to “seriously engage” with Havana if the government implements “fundamental changes” to its political system.

The United States is reportedly preparing to indict former Cuban President Raul Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of planes operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.

Protests erupted across Havana as Cuba faced its worst rolling blackouts in decades, leaving many parts of the capital without electricity for up to 22 hours a day. The demonstrations came after Cuba’s energy minister Vicente de la O Levy admitted on state television that the country had “absolutely no fuel” amid continuing pressure linked to restrictions on oil supplies to the island.

A rare high level meeting between the United States and Cuba has drawn global attention after John Ratcliffe visited Havana during one of the most severe energy crises in modern Cuban history.

Victor Manuel Rocha, the imprisoned former U.S. ambassador convicted of spying for Cuba, is facing efforts by U.S. federal prosecutors to revoke his American citizenship, according to a court filing.

United Nations experts have criticized recent US measures against Cuba, saying President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing a fuel blockade on the island amounts to “energy starvation” with serious consequences for development and human rights.