Pakistan may develop ICBMs, US Senate warned
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Tulsi Gabbard testified before the US Senate that Pakistan may be developing long-range ballistic missiles that could include intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking US territory, without specifying timelines or operational status.
- Pakistan operates the Shaheen‑III medium‑range ballistic missile with a 2,750‑km range, sufficient to hit all of mainland India and, if launched from eastern Pakistan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- SIPRI estimates Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal at roughly 170 warheads as of January 2025 and notes the country is building a nascent nuclear triad of aircraft, land‑based missiles, cruise missiles and sea‑launched cruise missiles.
- US sanctions have targeted Pakistan’s National Defence Complex and Chinese suppliers of composite materials and equipment for large solid‑rocket motors, reflecting pressure on its missile program.
- Satellite imagery reveals a new, larger horizontal motor test stand at Attock constructed between 2021 and late 2023, indicating capacity to test bigger rocket motors, though its exact purpose remains unclear.
- US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025 have heightened nuclear anxieties in Pakistan, potentially accelerating its long‑range missile development.
- China has long supported Pakistan’s missile and nuclear programs, and growing reliance on Chinese supplies raises questions about Pakistan’s strategic autonomy amid heightened US‑China tensions.
Why it matters: The warning highlights that Pakistan’s expanding missile program could add to the projected 16,000 missiles threatening the US by 2035, prompting heightened US defense scrutiny and potentially accelerating sanctions, while Pakistan may gain strategic leverage against India and the US but risks further isolation.
Ask SkimNews
