An exotic microwave weapon is the most exciting and attention-grabbing explanation for Havana syndrome — a suite of neurological symptoms that has been afflicting people in the U.S. diplomatic and intelligence services since 2016.
But a new report by U.S. intelligence agencies says there’s no credible evidence that those health problems are tied to microwave weapons or any other sort of attack by a foreign adversary.
Yet it’s hard to know what to believe because the latest report adds to a batch of conflicting findings from respectable research teams. In 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering concluded that a microwave weapon was the most likely cause of Havana syndrome, while a prestigious group of scientific advisers called JASON called it "highly unlikely” in a 2018 report.