Official announcements from the US Department of State or the US Treasury

Nuclear-Armed Pakistan's Long-Range Missiles Pose Emerging Threat to U.S., White House Warns

Dec 19, 2024, 08:24 PM

A senior White House official, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, stated on Thursday that nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities. These capabilities could eventually enable Pakistan to strike targets outside of South Asia, including the United States. Finer's comments were made during a speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he expressed concerns about Pakistan's missile program, describing it as an 'emerging threat' to the U.S. This development raises questions about the intentions behind Pakistan's ballistic missile program, especially in light of the deteriorating relationship between Washington and Islamabad since the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.