The Annual Threat Assessment places Pakistan alongside China, Russia, Iran and North Korea in advancing its missile capabilities.
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard attends a House Intelligence Committee hearing on global threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on March 26, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
The top US intelligence official has identified Pakistan’s missile program as a growing threat to the US homeland, according to a newly released assessment, underscoring growing strategic concerns in Washington.
While presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Pakistan was among a small group of states whose advanced weapons capabilities could directly endanger the United States.
Tulsi Gabbard:
The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing a series of novel, advanced or traditional missile delivery systems, with nuclear and conventional payloads, that place our homeland within… pic.twitter.com/X4g85J3DUh
– Clash Report (@clashreport) March 18, 2026
“The intelligence community assesses” that Pakistan, along with countries such as China and Russia, North Korea and Iran, is developing missile delivery systems “that put our homeland within range,” he told lawmakers.
Missiles and expanding range
According to the US intelligence community’s assessment, described in the report published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), several countries are pursuing a combination of “advanced” and “traditional” missile technologies capable of carrying nuclear and conventional payloads.
The report highlights a broader trend: a sharp increase in the number of missile systems globally that could potentially reach the United States in the next decade.
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Pakistan is specifically cited as part of this evolving threat landscape, with US officials increasingly concerned about the trajectory of its ballistic missile program. Previous US assessments have warned that Islamabad is working on “increasingly sophisticated missile technology,” including longer-range systems that could eventually strike targets far beyond South Asia.
US threat perception
Gabbard’s comments place Pakistan alongside major powers such as China and Russia, as well as North Korea and Iran, in the category of the most significant nuclear and missile-related threats to the United States.
While much of Washington’s traditional focus has been on competitors such as Beijing and Moscow, the inclusion of Pakistan reflects what analysts describe as growing concerns about proliferation and technological advances in missile delivery systems.
The ODNI report frames these developments within a broader security environment in which adversary states seek to enhance their strategic reach, which could complicate U.S. missile defense planning and deterrence posture.
Senior US officials have previously described it as an “emerging threat,” citing work on long-range ballistic systems and large rocket engines that could expand strike capabilities.
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Islamabad, however, has rejected such characterizations, maintaining that its nuclear and missile capabilities are designed for deterrence and regional stability, particularly in relation to India. Washington-based academic Shuja Nawaz stated, while speaking to a local news organization, that Pakistan’s inclusion in the list of threat states is a “continuation” of previous US policy.
“This continues the analysis of the Biden administration that imposed sanctions on Pakistani entities and tried to curb the acquisition of new technologies,” he said.
American academic Michael Kugelman stated: “I wouldn’t overstate the importance here. Pakistan wasn’t singled out exclusively; it was called out along with other countries.”
Beyond state actors, the US assessment also warns of threats from extremist groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, indicating that Washington continues to face a complex mix of conventional, nuclear and asymmetric challenges.
The report concludes that the convergence of these risks – from advanced missile systems to ongoing militant activities – represents a multifaceted threat environment that is likely to shape US national security priorities for years to come.
