Divya Delhi: Foreign Affairs reports that Pakistan is developing a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach the continental US. This follows reports that Pakistan was seeking Chinese support to strengthen its nuclear arsenal after Operation Sindoor. ICBMs with nuclear and conventional warheads can attack targets over 5,500 kilometers. The story cites US sources who say Pakistan would be a nuclear adversary if it builds such a missile. US adversaries include Russia, China, and North Korea. Pakistan's nuclear weapons program began in the early 1970s due to regional tensions, especially following India's 1974 nuclear test. After six nuclear tests, the country became nuclear-armed in 1998. Pakistan developed such a missile in reaction to India's expanding military power and investment in modern missile defense systems, according to sources. Pakistan has traditionally used its nuclear weapons to resist India's conventional military superiority, but this new development escalates the region's arms race.