U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated on Wednesday that the number of foreign missiles capable of striking the United States is projected to grow from 3,000 to more than 16,000 within the next decade.
Presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard identified Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan as the primary nations developing advanced delivery systems. These systems include novel nuclear and conventional payloads designed to penetrate or bypass existing U.S. missile defenses.
Table of Contents
Key Findings of the 2026 Threat Assessment
The 34-page intelligence report outlines several critical shifts in the global security landscape:
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Adversary Strategy: Nations are increasingly pairing high-end missiles with cheaper, expendable systems to overwhelm American defense networks.
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Technological Advancement: China has eclipsed Russia as the leading competitor in space and aims to dominate the global AI sector by 2030.
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Regional Risks: While Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities were described as "obliterated" by 2025 military strikes, the regime maintains the intent to rebuild its arsenal.
Congressional Scrutiny and “Operation Epic Fury”
The hearing turned contentious as lawmakers questioned the administration’s rationale for recent military actions in Iran. Gabbard declined to state whether the intelligence community (IC) had classified Iran as an "imminent threat" prior to the strikes, asserting that such determinations rest solely with the President.
"It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat," Gabbard told the committee. She emphasized that the IC's role is to provide the "volume of information" used by the Commander in Chief to make national security decisions.
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