It's tempting to say, "Look who's back." President Trump's actions against Iran would seem to have drawn support from an unexpected quarter: Former Florida governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who spoke at an anti-Iranian event on Wednesday. The former governor had another warning for President Trump, though, a warning of Iranian drones in Cuba.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush praised President Donald Trump for his efforts in crippling the Iranian regime, but warned that Cuba is now believed to have hundreds of explosive drones from Tehran.
Bush made the statement at a United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) event on Wednesday, standing next to an Iranian Shahed-136 drone. The Shahed family of drones are cheap but effective kamikaze weapons that Iran has used extensively in the Middle East, in addition to shipping them to Russia for use against Ukraine.
"We have decimated Iran's capability to make mischief in the region. There's no doubt about it," said Bush, who is UANI's chairman, adding that he applauds the Trump administration for their work.
"I also want to point out that the press reports are that there are 300 of these in Cuba," Bush said, gesturing toward the drone.
If this is correct, and if Cuba does have, as Bush claims, 300 of those drones, it could be serious. The Shahed 136 drone has an operational range of about 1,600 miles, meaning that from Cuba, one could hit targets well up the eastern seaboard. The drone carries a 110-pound warhead (some reports claim up to 200 pounds), which isn't a blockbuster, but it's enough to do serious damage to point targets.
And, as may come as no surprise, this is originally based on a Russian design, although the Shahed 136 devices are made in Iran. How Cuba came to have 300 of these isn't clear. We do know that Iran has been supplying Shahed drones to Russia for Tsar Vladimir I's ongoing war with Ukraine.
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If there are indeed 300 Iranian-built drones in Cuba, it's a safe bet that they are targeted at the United States. Here's the question, though: Will the Cuban regime launch any or all of these devices? The Cuban government under El Presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel, the first non-Castro to rule over communist Cuba, has to know what would happen were even one of these launched from Cuba at the United States. Indeed, President Díaz-Canel is probably looking at the fate of Iran's late and unlamented Supreme Leader Ali Khameini, noting that he was rendered to ambient temperature by American explosives, and thinking (probably correctly) that this may very well be his fate if any drones are launched at the United States.
The thing is, these drones have reportedly been in Cuba for some time. Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mark Wallace, who is now CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, notes that these drones, which aren't exactly state-of-the-art, were delivered to Cuba some years ago, before the current US-Iran conflict, although the exact date is unclear. While Mr. Bush is correct in pointing out that we should keep an eye on these things, it doesn't seem likely Cuba will decide to go down fighting; the current regime seems to be going slowly, slowly down, and not with a bang, but a whimper.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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