The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (Spanish: Crisis de octubre), the Caribbean Crisis (Russian: Карибский кризис, tr. Karibskiy krizis), or the Missile Scare, was a 13-day (October 16–28, 1962) confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning Soviet ballistic missiles deployment in Cuba. Along with being televised worldwide, it was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war.

In response to the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961, and the presence of American Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey against the USSR with Moscow within range, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev decided to agree to Cuba's request to place nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter future harassment of Cuba. An agreement was reached during a secret meeting between Khrushchev and Fidel Castro in July and construction on a number of missile launch facilities started later that summer.

An election was underway in the U.S. and the White House had denied Republican charges that it was ignoring dangerous Soviet missiles 90 miles from Florida. These missile preparations were confirmed when an Air Force U-2 spy plane produced clear photographic evidence of medium-range (SS-4) and intermediate-range (R-14) ballistic missile facilities. The United States established a military blockade to prevent further missiles from entering Cuba. It announced that they would not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba and demanded that the weapons already in Cuba be dismantled and returned to the USSR.

On July 15, 2013, the North Korean-flagged cargo ship Chong Chon Gang heading from Havana, Cuba was subject to an anti-drug inspection. Panamanian authorities held the ship because of "undeclared cargo" found aboard, which turned out to be "octagon shaped" equipment, leading the authorities to suspect shipment of weapons. International sanctions today disallow for any weapons to be shipped to North Korea.

Background

Following North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons in 2006, 2009 and 2013, and the testing of a ballistic missile in 2012, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. Amongst other sanctions, the resolutions stipulated that North Korea was banned from importing and exporting weapons and states were required to notify the Security Council before selling arms to North Korea. In addition, the resolutions authorised states to inspect North Korean cargo in their territory that were suspected of carrying military equipment and any such contraband was to be destroyed and the Security Council was to be notified.