Amid a show of U.S. military strength near the island, the government in Havana has begun distributing weapons to civilians and is officially urging citizens to prepare for a potential foreign invasion.

Axar.az reports that the alert comes after a week of ambiguity from Washington. During his appearance before Congress, the U.S. Secretary of State maintained a vague stance on the next steps, including the scope of possible military action or other measures the U.S. administration could take in the region.

Tensions and uncertainty are now being felt on the ground and are already affecting daily life in the Cuban capital. According to CNN correspondent Patrick Oppmann, preparations for a possible wartime scenario have escalated to the point where administrators of state buildings are even discussing logistics related to a potential conflict with tenants.

“In the state building where our main offices are located, one of the administrators came over and asked whether we would need the office during the invasion,” Oppmann said, highlighting how official contingency instructions are being implemented at both neighborhood and institutional levels — fueling growing concern among the population.