Tulsi Gabbard’s Warning: Pakistan’s Missiles and Terror Networks Threaten the American Homeland

Pakistan represents a grave and multifaceted threat to the United States and its allies, a concern recently underscored by Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. In her March 18, 2026, testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during the presentation of the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, Gabbard explicitly highlighted Pakistan’s evolving missile capabilities as a growing danger.

Gabbard stated that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put the American homeland within range. She specifically warned that Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile development potentially could include ICBMs with the range capable of striking the United States homeland. This assessment projects that global missile threats could expand dramatically, exceeding 16,000 by 2035, with Pakistan’s advancements contributing to challenges against U.S. missile defenses.

Far from being a stable nation-state, Pakistan functions largely as an army-controlled territory, with its military and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) exerting dominant influence. Since its creation, it has been accused of sponsoring radical terrorist groups. Organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba have long maintained ties to the ISI, while Pakistan’s historical support enabled the rise of the Afghan Taliban. Even after the Taliban’s 2021 return to power, Pakistan’s influence persists, contributing to regional instability where U.S. interests have suffered.

Groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ideologically and operationally linked to the Afghan Taliban, continue cross-border attacks, creating a volatile environment. Pakistan’s pattern of selective support for militant proxies heightens risks to American security.

Compounding this, Pakistan is a nuclear-armed regime with an expanding arsenal. Gabbard’s recent remarks align with broader U.S. intelligence concerns about its clandestine nuclear proliferation history and potential to threaten the homeland directly.

Pakistan also maintains close and deepening ties with the Iranian regime, including military and defense cooperation. In a region of heightened tensions—including recent U.S. and allied actions against Iran—these alignments raise alarms about shared adversarial interests against the U.S. and its allies.

In summary, as emphasized in Tulsi Gabbard’s high-profile 2026 threat assessment briefing, Pakistan’s blend of state-sponsored terrorism links (including to the Afghan Taliban and TTP networks), nuclear weapons, advancing long-range missiles, and alliances with Iran positions it as a highly dangerous actor. This terror-sponsoring nuclear power poses a persistent and escalating risk to the United States, its forces, and the free world.