Pakistan’s missiles could potentially reach US, claims America spy chief

WASHINGTON: US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has identified Pakistan as a country posing a growing strategic concern. She warned that Islamabad’s evolving long-range missile capabilities “could potentially bring the American homeland within range.”

Presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard also named Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea as nations developing new missile delivery systems, including nuclear and conventional warheads that put the US within reach.

“The US secure nuclear deterrent continues to ensure safety in the homeland against strategic threats. However, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put our homeland within range,” Gabbard said.

She noted that Pakistan’s ballistic missile development “potentially could include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)” capable of reaching the US. Gabbard also warned that missile threats to the US are expected to rise, with global missile inventories possibly exceeding 16,000 by 2035, up from over 3,000 currently.

Gabbard added that the countries listed in the report would likely try to understand US missile defence plans to shape their own programs and assess Washington’s deterrence posture.

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Former Pakistani ambassador to the US, Jalil Abbas Jilani, rejected the claim that Pakistan posed a direct missile threat to the US. He said Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine is India-centric and focused on regional deterrence, not global power projection.

Turkish analyst Shaqeq-ud-Din questioned the assessment, noting Pakistan does not have ICBMs. He also raised concerns about India’s growing ICBM capabilities and called the classification of threats selective.

South Asia Threat Assessment

The report highlighted that South Asia remains a source of enduring security challenges, especially Pakistan-India relations.

“Pakistan-India relations remain a risk for nuclear conflict given past conflicts where these two nuclear states squared off, creating the danger of escalation,” the report said, referencing the Pahalgam attack.

It added that while neither country seeks open conflict now, terrorist actors could still trigger crises.

The report also noted tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, saying:

“Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have been tense, with intermittent cross-border clashes, as Islamabad has become increasingly frustrated with anti-Pakistan terrorist groups’ presence in Afghanistan while Islamabad faces growing terrorist violence.”

It mentioned Pakistan’s army chief warning that lasting peace requires the Taliban to cut ties with militants targeting Pakistan, while the Taliban claims dialogue but denies sheltering anti-Pakistani militants.