U.S. intelligence indicates Pakistan is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) potentially capable of striking the United States. This development, explored in a Foreign Affairs article by MIT nuclear experts, suggests Pakistan's nuclear ambitions may be expanding beyond deterring India to countering U.S. intervention. If verified, this advancement could redefine geopolitics and the nuclear landscape, positioning Pakistan as a nuclear adversary to the U.S., which currently doesn’t consider any ICBM-capable nation a friend. The situation increases the global nuclear threat level amid declining arms control and deteriorating deterrence doctrines.
If Pakistan acquires an ICBM, Washington will have no choice but to treat the country as a nuclear adversary, which changes the global nuclear dynamic.
The authors note that Pakistan aims to develop an ICBM not just for deterrence against India, but also as a measure against potential U.S. intervention.
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