US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a warning to Cuba during a visit to the US military base at Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday.

"It would be unwise of the government of Cuba ​to try to procure or get access to the types of ⁠weapons ​that could reach this ​base or the American homeland," Hegseth said, ​without offering details on such weaponry.

"They would be inviting the kind of confrontation ​not only ⁠do they not want but they could ⁠not stand," he said, claiming that "no ​country on Earth can match the capabilities of the United States of America." 

Guantanamo Bay is located near the southern tip of Cuba. It is the only US base in another nation that is held with an indefinite lease and against the wishes of the host government.

Since January, the US has blockaded energy shipments to the island nation, leading to widespread power outages and grinding transport to a halt. This comes in addition to a broader trade embargo that Washington has imposed since 1962.

"What happens with the future of Cuba is in the hands of... the president of the United States and the leadership of Cuba," Hegseth said.

Cuba rejects claims of military buildup

US news outlet Axios reported last month that Cuba had been acquiring hundreds of attack drones from Russia and Iran, citing classified intelligence documents.

A day later, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on X that certain media outlets "promoted slander" and "leaked insinuations from the US government itself."

Cuba "has the right to legitimate self-defense against any external aggression," he said.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that while Cuba did not have any plans of aggression, if US threats materialize, "it will cause a bloodbath with incalculable consequences, in addition to the destructive impact on regional peace and stability."

Edited by: Sean Sinico