Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez warned that any U.S. military action against Cuba would be met with "all" the force of the Cuban state and people, saying such a conflict would become "a bloodbath" while insisting Havana remains open to diplomatic dialogue despite worsening tensions with Washington.
In an interview with CNN, Rodríguez rejected repeated U.S. claims that Cuba poses a national security threat, calling the assertion "ridiculous."
"Cuba is not and cannot be a threat to the national security of the United States," he told the news site, contrasting the United States as "a great nuclear superpower" with what he described as "a small neighboring island with a historical vocation for peace."
At the same time, Rodríguez warned that "a military aggression against Cuba will have to be responded to" with "all" the force of the Cuban state and its people. "It will be a bloodbath. Thousands and thousands of Cubans will die, and young Americans will also die," he said, adding that Cuba would act only in "legitimate defense" of its sovereignty and independence.
The remarks come as the Trump administration has intensified pressure on Havana through additional sanctions and energy restrictions while President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested Cuba could become a future target following the U.S.-backed operation that removed former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
Rodríguez also confirmed that diplomatic contacts between Havana and Washington continue but said they "show no progress." He described a "flagrant contradiction" between what he called the respectful tone of U.S. diplomats in private discussions and the public actions of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the broader administration.
Despite the lack of progress, Rodríguez said Cuba remains willing to cooperate with the United States on issues including counterterrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
Ofrecí entrevista al periodista de @CNNEE @jclopezcnn.
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) July 1, 2026
Abordé la situación actual en #Cuba, provocada por las medidas de recrudecimiento extremo del bloqueo, el cerco energético y las sanciones secundarias impuestas por el gobierno de EEUU.
Comenté sobre la sesión de la… pic.twitter.com/ddJa6mYxld
Cuba has requested a July 7 session of the U.N. General Assembly to once again seek international condemnation of the U.S. embargo. Rodríguez said Havana also plans to denounce what it describes as the "real possibility of military aggression," an "energy siege" and other measures that have intensified economic pressure on the island.
Rodríguez's latest warning echoes remarks he made back in May, when he accused Rubio of attempting to "justify a military aggression against Cuba" by portraying the island as a security threat.
At the time, he challenged Washington to produce evidence supporting that claim, argued that Cuba posed no realistic military threat to the United States, and appealed to the international community at the United Nations to help prevent what he described as a potential humanitarian catastrophe driven by sanctions or military action.
