Cuba Rushes Navy To Liberate Hormuz Strait In Desperate Bid To Impress United States
HAVANA—In a bold diplomatic maneuver widely described as “extremely proactive,” Cuban officials announced Tuesday that the country has deployed its entire navy to liberate the Strait of Hormuz in hopes of earning the goodwill of the United States before Washington has time to launch any special military operation against Cuba itself.
Speaking at a press conference beside a wall map of the Middle East and a large arrow labeled “CUBA → OIL,” the commander of the Cuban armed forces declared that no nation is better suited than Cuba to guarantee the free flow of oil tankers through the strategic waterway.
“Frankly, nobody else understands island defense like we do,” the commander said confidently. “When we look at the critically important island of Qeshm, we see an island that clearly needs the protective embrace of Cuban naval expertise.”
U.S. officials have not publicly stated any intention to seize Qeshm Island, but Cuban authorities said they had credible suspicions that American special forces might someday consider thinking about planning such an operation.
“Therefore we must act first,” the commander explained. “It is the only responsible course of action.”
The expeditionary fleet reportedly consists of 12 Zhuk-class patrol boats and five assorted modernized patrol vessels, several of which began their careers as fishing trawlers or coastal ferries before being upgraded for combat service.
After the collapse of Soviet support in the 1990s, Cuba famously began converting civilian vessels into warships, installing tank turrets, artillery pieces, and anti-aircraft guns wherever they would fit.
Military officials described the resulting fleet as “a uniquely versatile modern naval solution.”
“We believe the sight of these ships alone will guarantee freedom of navigation,” said Rear Adm. Julio Peña. “Especially the one with the tank turret.”
Cuban leaders also emphasized their long history of successful coordination with Washington.
“We already have valuable experience cooperating with the United States,” the commander noted, citing joint efforts to ensure the security of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. “Protecting Middle Eastern oil shipping together is simply the logical next step.”
The announcement reportedly caused unexpected excitement at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where officials admitted they had not anticipated such an enthusiastic volunteer.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has led the alliance since 2024, reportedly called the Cuban initiative “unexpected but extremely energetic,” while promising that the alliance would watch the mission with great interest.
“In the highly unlikely event that Cuba actually succeeds in securing the Strait of Hormuz,” Rutte reportedly told journalists, “the Alliance will seriously consider inviting them to join NATO.”
Diplomats later clarified that NATO currently has 32 member countries from Europe and North America, and Cuba is not among them—at least for now.
At press time, Cuban officials confirmed the fleet had successfully reached the Atlantic Ocean and was “confidently heading east.”
