The correct answer is Spain.
The USS Maine mysteriously exploded on the night of Feb 15 1898. The explosion killed 260 crew members. Most of them died immediately.
Newspapers went wild, placing the blame on Spanish sabotage and provocatively called for retaliation. These media reports galvanized much of the American public in favor of war. The government however appealed for calm as they launched an investigation to determine the real cause of the blast.
The conclusion was that it was caused by a mine with the Spanish suspected to be the most likely behind it.
