Why was president John F. Kennedy and nikita khruschev running with missiles in their hand during the war?

President John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev were not literally running with missiles in their hands; rather, this imagery symbolizes the heightened tensions during the Cold War, particularly the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. During this period, the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, prompting a tense standoff between the two superpowers. Both leaders were under immense pressure to assert their military capabilities while avoiding a catastrophic nuclear conflict, illustrating the precarious balance of power and the threat of mutually assured destruction.