26 FEB 26 SITREP

• Cuba’s Interior Ministry announced that 4 individuals on a speedboat originating from Florida were killed and 6 were injured off the coast of Cuba, alleging the group was attempting to carry out terrorism on the island.
• And among those involved in the confrontation, one U.S. citizen was killed and another was injured.
• The boat involved in the incident was registered in Florida, and U.S. officials stated that most available information was being provided by Cuban authorities to both the public and the U.S. government as federal agencies assessed the situation.
• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard initiated an investigation, while the U.S. Embassy in Havana worked to obtain access to individuals on the vessel if they were American citizens or permanent residents.

• Negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program were underway in Geneva as President Trump warned that “bad things” could happen if Iran did not agree to a deal, while Iran’s foreign minister stated that an agreement was within reach.
• F-22 aircraft were positioned on Israeli air bases for the first time, the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier moved toward the region, and the entirety of the U.S. 5th Fleet exited port in Bahrain, signaling preparation for potential combat operations.
• Iranian S-300 air defense systems were reactivated outside Tehran and Isfahan, and potential strike targets discussed included nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, air defense installations, oil refineries, and the Bandar Abbas naval base near the Strait of Hormuz, which is 13 miles wide at its narrowest point.
• Operational considerations included eliminating enemy air defenses, disabling Iranian military capabilities, deploying missile defense systems such as SM-3 interceptors on destroyers, and preventing disruption to global oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

• 25 Mexican National Guardsmen were killed during a confrontation with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel in the region near Tehpadpa and Guadalajara, and funeral honors were held in Guadalajara for a state official who died in the clash.
• Nemesio Seguera, also referred to as El Mincho, was critically injured during the operation and died while being transported by helicopter to Mexico City.
• Cartel forces were described as using drones, rocket launchers, high technology weapons, armored “Mad Max” style vehicles, and personnel that included former military members operating in coordinated engagements against federal authorities.
• In a single day, more than 400 and close to 500 semi trucks were burned across affected areas, demonstrating the cartel’s capacity to conduct large-scale acts of intimidation and territorial control.