US states new threat due to Pakistan's missile program

During a speech at a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event, US official John Finer stated that Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country, is working on increasingly sophisticated missile technology, ranging from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment capable of testing much larger rocket engines.

Finer emphasized that if these trends continue, Pakistan will have the ability to target locations far beyond South Asia, including the US.

He also pointed out that the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons with missiles capable of reaching the US is very small, and they are generally adversaries.

"So, candidly, it's hard for us to see Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the US," Finer added.

US sanctions on Pakistan due to its missile program

Recently, the US announced new sanctions related to Pakistan's ballistic missile development program.

The restrictions, for the first time, were imposed on the country's state defense agency, which oversees the program. These sanctions aim to curb Pakistan's efforts to advance its missile technology and address concerns over its growing missile capabilities.

Islamabad's development of missile engines

According to Reuters, two senior US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Washington's concerns over Pakistan's missile program have been longstanding and stem from the size of the missile engines being developed.

One official told Western journalists that the threat to the US will persist for the next 10 years.

"They don't acknowledge our concerns. They tell us we are biased," said the second US official to Reuters.

The official added that Pakistani authorities have incorrectly suggested that US sanctions on their missile program are intended to destroy their ability to defend against India.

Pakistan's nuclear program and the accumulation of its missile arsenal

Pakistan's declared goal for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs has been to counter India, with which it has fought three wars since 1947.

Pakistan conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1998, more than 20 years after India conducted its first test.

Pakistan has also developed a significant arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of launching nuclear warheads. According to the research organization Bulletin of the American Scientists, Pakistan has an estimated stockpile of around 170 warheads.

US-Pakistan relations

Western media have noted that the statement from the American official about a new threat could highlight how the once close ties between Washington and Islamabad have deteriorated following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the return of the Taliban to power in the country.

US-Pakistan relations have seen fluctuations over the years. They were strengthened during the Cold War when the two countries supported Afghan rebels in their fight against Soviet troops during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979-89.

It is also important to note that Pakistan was a key partner for the US in the fight against the terrorist organization al-Qaeda following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Moreover, since 2004, Pakistan has been designated a major non-NATO ally.

Meanwhile, it is reported that Islamabad continues to support the Taliban organization.

In addition, Pakistan, in light of its rivalry with India, is critical of Washington's efforts to strengthen relations with New Delhi. Islamabad also maintains close ties with China, and some Chinese entities have already been subjected to American sanctions for their role in supplying Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.

Earlier this year, Pakistan experienced a conflict with Iran. The two countries exchanged strikes in January during counter-terrorism operations along their shared border.

RBC-Ukraine previously provided detailed coverage of the conflict between Iran and Pakistan and analyzed whether it posed a threat of a new major war in the East.