Fri Dec 20 04:10:12 UTC 2024: ## US Labels Pakistan an Emerging Nuclear Threat

**Washington D.C.** – The United States has publicly declared Pakistan an emerging threat, citing the country’s development of long-range ballistic missiles capable of potentially striking US soil. This stark warning, delivered by Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, marks a significant deterioration in US-Pakistan relations.

Finer revealed that Pakistan’s increasingly sophisticated missile technology, including advancements in rocket motor capabilities, could allow it to target locations far beyond South Asia within the next decade. He stated that this places Pakistan alongside Russia, North Korea, and China as a nuclear power with the potential to reach the US mainland – a concerning development given the typically adversarial nature of these states.

This announcement follows new US sanctions targeting Pakistan’s state-run defense agency involved in ballistic missile development. While Pakistan frames its nuclear and missile programs as deterrents against India, US officials claim these concerns are long-standing and center around the size of the rocket engines being developed. They assert that repeated attempts to address these concerns with Pakistani officials have been unsuccessful, with Pakistan rejecting US concerns and misrepresenting the sanctions’ intent.

The US acknowledges a history of partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism and security, making the current situation all the more alarming. The strained relationship is further complicated by Pakistan’s close ties with China and its criticism of the warming relationship between the US and India.

Experts have expressed surprise at the bluntness of the US statement, highlighting the significant shift in US perception of the threat posed by Pakistan’s nuclear program. The statement underscores the increasingly tense relationship between the two nations, once close allies, and raises serious questions about the future of their strategic cooperation.

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