The US National Intelligence Director said Islamabad's long-range ballistic missile efforts may evolve into intercontinental systems capable of targeting the American mainland
View attachment 186954
Tulsi Gabbard speaking at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on global threats. (Photo: Bloomberg)
United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday told lawmakers that Pakistan’s advancing missile programme could eventually bring the American mainland within its reach, placing Pakistan in a group of nations - comprising Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran - that pose a threat to the US.
Speaking at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on global threats, Gabbard said Islamabad’s long-range ballistic missile efforts may evolve into intercontinental systems capable of targeting the United States.
“Pakistan's long-range ballistic missile development potentially could include ICBMs with a range capable of striking the homeland,” she said, outlining the widening scope of strategic risks.
Her remarks came as part of a broader warning that multiple state actors are accelerating both conventional and nuclear delivery systems. Gabbard noted that countries like Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan are actively developing advanced missile technologies, alongside capabilities in cyber and kinetic warfare.
“The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of… missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put our homeland within range,” she said.
Global missile threat set to expand: Gabbard
Gabbard further cautioned that the scale of the threat is expected to grow sharply over the next decade. According to US intelligence estimates, the number of missiles capable of reaching American territory could rise from more than 3,000 today to over 16,000 by 2035.
She added that China and Russia remain the most consistent and active challengers, particularly in developing systems designed to evade US missile defence networks. North Korea, she added, already possesses intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching US soil and continues to expand its nuclear arsenal.
“The IC assesses that China and Russia present the most persistent and active threats,” she said, adding that Pyongyang’s cyber operations remain a significant concern.
Gabbard omits Iran uranium enrichment claim in testimony
On Iran, Gabbard said Tehran retains the technical base to eventually develop an intercontinental missile, should it choose to pursue that path before 2035. She also indicated that Iran had been attempting to recover from damage to its nuclear infrastructure following strikes by the US and Israel.
“Prior to Operation Epic Fury, the IC assesses Iran was trying to recover from the severe damage to its nuclear infrastructure… and continued to refuse to comply with its nuclear obligations,” she said, while referring to restrictions placed on international inspectors.
Her comments marked a shift from earlier prepared remarks that suggested Iran had not resumed enrichment activities after the strikes. The omission drew scrutiny from lawmakers during the hearing.
When questioned by Senator Mark Warner on why that portion was not included in her opening statement, Gabbard attributed it to time constraints, saying she had skipped parts of her prepared text.
She also pushed back on suggestions that intelligence assessments were being shaped by political narratives, maintaining that the intelligence community provides objective inputs while threat determinations ultimately rest with the president.
“It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” she said.
The testimony comes amid ongoing debate within the administration over the justification for military action against Iran. While President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that Tehran posed an immediate threat, some officials have expressed more measured assessments.
Gabbard, who has previously criticised US military interventions, said Iranian leadership had been weakened by recent strikes but added that the government structure remains intact.
At the same time, internal disagreements appear to persist. A senior adviser to Gabbard, Joe Kent, resigned a day earlier, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States.
During the hearing, lawmakers also pressed intelligence officials on whether the president had been warned about potential Iranian retaliation, including threats to Gulf nations and the Strait of Hormuz.
Gabbard declined to discuss specific briefings but said historical patterns indicated that Iran has long signalled its willingness to leverage the strategic waterway.
“I will say that those of us within the intelligence community continue to provide the president with all of the best objective intelligence available to inform his decisions,” she said.
