India expressed apprehensions about Pakistan’s history of clandestine nuclear proliferation, emphasizing the threat it poses globally. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, highlighted this during a media briefing in New Delhi in response to US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s remarks on Pakistan. Gabbard cautioned that Pakistan’s missile program advancements could potentially endanger the United States, aligning it with other global threats.
Gabbard, in the intelligence community’s 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, pointed out that China and Russia are developing sophisticated delivery systems capable of circumventing US missile defenses. She also noted North Korea’s possession of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can target American territory and its continuous nuclear arsenal expansion. Furthermore, Gabbard warned that Pakistan’s progress in long-range ballistic missile development might lead to intercontinental systems with the ability to strike the US, raising concerns for American security planners.
The intelligence report highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing enhancement of missile technology, enabling the military to potentially develop systems capable of targeting areas beyond South Asia. Gabbard emphasized that if current trends persist, Pakistan could possess intercontinental ballistic missiles posing a threat to the US. Despite these challenges, Gabbard reassured lawmakers about the US’s robust nuclear deterrent safeguarding against strategic threats, while acknowledging the missile advancements by Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan that could put the US at risk.
