Kathmandu — According to reports from US intelligence agencies published in the esteemed magazine Foreign Affairs, Pakistan is secretly developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking the United States directly.
The report states that following India’s Operation Sindoor, Pakistan, with China’s support, is attempting to upgrade its nuclear arsenal. US officials quoted in the report warn that if Pakistan successfully develops such missiles, Washington will be compelled to designate Pakistan as a “nuclear adversary.” Currently, only Russia, China, and North Korea hold this status with the US.
An unnamed US official is cited saying, “If Pakistan develops missiles that can reach the US, there will be no choice but to treat it as a nuclear enemy. No country with ICBMs capable of striking America can be considered a friend.”
Pakistan has long maintained its nuclear program is solely for deterrence against India. Until now, Pakistan’s missile capabilities have focused on short- and medium-range systems. The country currently possesses no ICBMs. In 2022, Pakistan tested the Shaheen-III missile with a range of 2,700 kilometers, placing many Indian cities within reach.
ICBMs are defined as missiles capable of striking targets over 5,500 kilometers away, armed with nuclear or conventional warheads. Pakistan denies possessing any ICBMs at present.
If Pakistan proceeds with ICBM development, analysts suggest the aim may be to send a message to the US that attempts to dismantle Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would be met with severe consequences, and that Washington should not intervene in favor of India should tensions escalate again.
The US is taking this issue seriously. Last year, Washington imposed new economic sanctions on Pakistan’s long-range missile program, targeting the National Development Complex (NDC) and three related entities. These sanctions froze assets in the US and barred American companies from conducting business with them.
Pakistan criticized the sanctions as discriminatory. However, a US State Department report alleges that Pakistan attempted to procure technical equipment necessary for missile production.
Pakistan currently possesses approximately 170 nuclear warheads and is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote peaceful nuclear energy use.
This development comes amid heightened tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor, during which India launched strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The US World Threat Assessment report noted that Pakistan has been acquiring nuclear technology and materials from China in response.
The situation underscores growing regional security concerns and the potential for escalation involving nuclear-capable missile systems in South Asia.
