U.S. Intelligence Concludes Pakistan Is Developing Nuke That Could Reach America: Report

(AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Pakistan is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States in a move that, if confirmed, could redefine geopolitics.

The revelation is buried in a broader analysis of global nuclear risks published in a new article in Foreign Affairs that suggested Pakistan’s strategic ambitions may be expanding far beyond its neighborhood.

The authors, MIT nuclear security experts Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi, both of whom recently held senior U.S. defense roles, warn that Pakistan could be seeking to deter not just New Delhi, but also Washington.

Islamabad insists its nuclear program is solely aimed at deterring India, but according to the influential policy journal, the country’s hope is an ICBM threat might dissuade the U.S. from attempting to preemptively eliminate Pakistan’s arsenal or intervene in the event of another India-Pakistan conflict.

“If Pakistan acquires an ICBM,” the report notes, “Washington will have no choice but to treat the country as a nuclear adversary – no other country with ICBMs that can target the United States is considered a friend.”

The development, if realized, would mark the first time a country outside the usual adversarial bloc of Russia, China and North Korea gains the ability to directly threaten the U.S. homeland with nuclear force.

It also adds yet another layer of volatility to what the authors describe as a “Category 5 hurricane” of global nuclear threats where deterrence doctrines eroding and arms control collapsing in a way that is reshaping the nuclear rules of engagement.