On Feb. 15, 1898, a massive explosion sank the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, giving the U.S. a justification to attack Cuba and storylines for the birth of yellow journalism.
From battleships to drones — Why some see troubling parallels between the U.S. and Cuba today and in 1898
William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer immediately blamed Spain for the attack on USS Maine and the rallying cry “Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain!” took over the nation, giving President William McKinley a clear path to attack the Spanish colony.
United States and the sinking of the USS Maine
The United States has never confirmed or admitted to executing a false flag operation to get involved in a military conflict. However, the sinking of the USS Maine was a crucial event leading up to the Spanish-American War.
With tensions growing in Cuba, still a colony of Spain in 1898, the United States moved a Navy ship, the USS Maine, to the Port of Havana. Then, on Feb. 15 the ship suffered an explosion and to date the exact details of the explosion are unknown, while many historians believe it was an internal coal bunker fire.
The United States blamed Spain, but official declarations would not be made for two months. Spain’s investigation concluded that the ship sank after an internal explosion and not from a weapon of theirs.
The US Navy conducted their own investigation and determined that the ship sank after being hit by a torpedo. While a declaration of war was not made within the days of the event, it did help galvanize support for the war.
Whether or not the U,S, really knew if Spain was responsible, the event served as a turning point towards war. Later investigations have been inconclusive or claimed that the coal bunker theory is more plausible. Regardless, the example shows that when tensions are high, even an accident or fluke can have fatal consequences.
BREAKING: Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones and has begun discussing plans to attack the US base at Guantanamo Bay, US military vessels, and possibly Key West, Florida, per Axios.
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) May 17, 2026
Details include:
1. The threat is being described as potential "pretext for US…
Fast forward to 2026 and Cuban drones
On May 17, several U.S. media outlets published that Cuba had obtained drones and that the country was planning on using them against targets in Florida and in Guantanamo Bay. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez dismissed the news and blamed Trump’s administration of making up a false flag operation to justify a potential military intervention. Sound familiar?
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the US of fabricating a ‘fraudulent case’ to justify economic sanctions and potential military intervention. The minister's comments followed a report by Axios, citing classified intelligence, which said Cuba had acquired more than… pic.twitter.com/eg2O5CEj4d
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 18, 2026
Trump has been direct about his interest in changing the regime in Cuba and his right hand man Marco Rubio is an expert on the history and the current situation on the island. Could this be the beginning of what many Cubans hope is the end of the totalitarian regime and the return to democracy in Cuba?
If Trump has learned two things in the conflict in Iran, it’s that a good pretext is needed to justify sending U.S. troops to a foreign country to change the country’s regime. Another hard lesson learned in Iran is that conflicts closer to home are much easier to control and win (see Venezuela) than on the other side of the world.
Trump on Cuba: "I think we'll be turning it. I'll think they're gonna have to come to us. It's a failed nation." pic.twitter.com/VEpmsT8otn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2026
When did the ‘false flag’ term originate?
Historians trace use of the term back to the sixteenth century. Around 300 years later the expression earned a literal meaning as well, when pirates would use a friendly flag as a pretext to take over an unsuspecting ship.
In more recent years, the term has been used to refer to instances where a government will provoke an event which often allows for greater domestic repression or an international response, typically violent in nature, such as Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
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