Tulsi Gabbard Flags Pakistan in US Threat List
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has identified Pakistan, China, Russia and North Korea among the major nuclear and missile-related threats facing the United States, placing Pakistan in a wider group of countries viewed in Washington as capable of posing serious long-range strategic risks.
Tulsi Gabbard Nuclear Threat Warning
While presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard pointed to the growing danger posed by advanced missile systems, nuclear stockpiles and strategic military capabilities held by rival states. The wider US intelligence assessment placed China and Russia at the centre of long-term strategic competition, while also warning about North Korea’s expanding weapons capabilities and the risks posed by other nuclear-armed states. Pakistan was mentioned in the context of missile developments that could, over time, extend its strategic reach.
Pakistan Missile Capability in Focus
The reporting around Gabbard’s remarks drew attention to Pakistan’s missile programme and concerns within US intelligence circles that its advances could eventually improve its ability to threaten more distant targets. That framing put Pakistan alongside much larger strategic rivals in a notable development, even though the broader US threat assessment remained primarily focused on China and Russia as the most significant state-level challenges for Washington.
US Threat Assessment 2026 Highlights
Beyond nuclear dangers, the 2026 assessment also flagged overseas terror threats from groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda, along with cyber risks, transnational crime and regional instability. The hearing came at a politically sensitive time in Washington, with Gabbard also facing questions on wider national security decisions. Even so, the assessment underlined that nuclear and missile threats from major adversaries continue to remain a central concern for US intelligence agencies.
