Jose M. Hernandez has written:

'Cuba and the United States' -- subject(s): United States, Foreign relations, Cuba

David F. Healy has written:

'The United States in Cuba, 1898-1902' -- subject(s): United States, Foreign relations, Cuba

North Korea, Iran, Bhutan, and Cuba do not have an active US embassy. This is because the United States has no diplomatic relations with these nations. The US also has no diplomatic relations with Syria, although an embassy is present in Damascus.

The United States obtains an interests section in Switzerland's embassy in Havana, Cuba to represent American interests in Cuba. However, the US has no diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Relations between the United States and Cuba were poor in 1960 because President John Kennedy did not trust the new Cuban dictator. Fidel Castro had just come into power at this time and the United States feared Communism would spread.

The United States, under JFK, ordered the Soviet Union, who first put them there, to take them out immediately. They then prepared for an Army invasion of Cuba in case they had to take the missiles out by force. When a blockade by the United States was put into action to prevent more missiles coming into Cuba, the Soviet Union took the missiles back as long as the United States agreed to have nothing ever to do with Cuba. This is why all relations to Cuba were cut off by the United States.