Pakistan's Long-Range Missiles Could Reach U.S., Gabbard Warns

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned at a Senate Intelligence hearing that Pakistan is among the countries posing the most significant nuclear threats to the United States, alongside Russia, China, and North Korea.

“Islamabad, Pakistan – The United States’s top intelligence official has placed Pakistan alongside Russia, China, North Korea and Iran as a country whose advancing missile capabilities could eventually put US territory within reach”

Al Jazeera

"Russia, China, North Korea, Pakistan pose biggest nuclear threats to US," Gabbard stated during her testimony on worldwide threats.

Al Jazeera

The intelligence community assesses a sharp rise in missiles capable of reaching the United States, with the number projected to exceed 16,000 by 2035, up from the current assessed figure of around 3,000.

Gabbard explained that "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."

She noted that while China and Russia present the most persistent and active threats, Pakistan's missile development represents a significant concern for US homeland security.

Technical analysis of Pakistan's current missile capabilities reveals significant limitations compared to the threat assessment.

Pakistan's longest-range operational missile, the Shaheen-III, has an estimated range of roughly 2,750km (1,710 miles), sufficient to cover all of India but far short of intercontinental ballistic missile standards.

India Today

An ICBM is generally defined as having a range exceeding 5,500km (3,420 miles), which Pakistan does not currently possess.

The distance between Pakistan and the US exceeds 7,000 miles (11,200km), making it impossible for Pakistan's current arsenal to reach American shores.

Only Russia, the US, France, China, and the UK currently possess ICBMs capable of such distances, while India and North Korea are developing similar capabilities.

In January 2025, senior US officials assessed that Pakistan's ability to field long-range ballistic missiles was "several years to a decade away," suggesting Gabbard's assessment may represent a shift in intelligence thinking.

Pakistan has strongly rejected the US assessment, maintaining that its nuclear and strategic programmes are calibrated solely to deter India.

“You can follow our live coverage of the West Asia war here The remarks come amid a sharp escalation in the Israel-US vs Iran conflict, where a series of targeted Israeli strikes has pushed tensions closer to a direct confrontation between the two regional powers”

The Economic Times

Former Pakistani ambassador to Washington Jalil Abbas Jilani dismissed Gabbard's remarks as "not grounded in strategic reality," while former high commissioner to India Abdul Basit criticised the assessment as "self-serving and groundless" that "only betray Gabbard's incorrigible biases."

Pakistani officials have previously described US sanctions as "biased and politically motivated," accusing Washington of relying on "mere suspicion" without sufficient evidence.

Pakistan has also pointed to what it sees as US double standards, noting the deepening strategic cooperation with India, including advanced defence technology transfers, while penalising Islamabad for pursuing what it views as necessary deterrence.

The country announced the formation of its Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) three months after its May 2025 conflict with India, further reinforcing its position that military developments are India-focused.

Expert assessments reveal a debate over Pakistan's true intentions regarding its missile development.

While Pakistan maintains its programme is India-specific, some analysts suggest Islamabad may be developing longer-range capabilities to deter US intervention in potential India-Pakistan conflicts or to prevent preventive strikes against its nuclear arsenal.

The Economic Times

In a June 2025 Foreign Affairs article, former US officials Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi wrote that US intelligence agencies believed Pakistan was developing a missile "that could reach the continental United States," suggesting motivation beyond India deterrence.

However, Pakistani expert Yamin criticised Gabbard for "quite conveniently" overlooking India's longer-range missile capabilities, including the Agni-V with a range of more than 5,000km and the Agni-VI ICBM under development with a range potentially up to 12,000km.

Despite these expert assessments, Pakistan continues to assert that its nuclear doctrine remains strictly defensive and India-specific.