Overview
- U.S. intelligence, cited in Foreign Affairs, reports Pakistan’s military is advancing a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile project capable of striking the continental United States.
- U.S. officials warn that Pakistan’s acquisition of such a missile would compel Washington to treat Islamabad as a nuclear adversary on par with Russia, China and North Korea.
- The program marks a strategic shift from Pakistan’s traditional India-focused deterrence, signalling an effort to deter U.S. intervention or preemptive strikes on its nuclear facilities.
- Development pace accelerated after India’s Operation Sindoor in May, and Beijing is believed to be providing technological support for Pakistan’s long-range missile efforts.
- Washington imposed sanctions last year on the National Development Complex and related firms over missile technology transfers; Pakistan’s arsenal stands at roughly 165–170 warheads and it remains outside the NPT.