WASHINGTON: A senior White House official on Thursday said nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets outside of South Asia, including in the United States.

In his stunning revelation about the onetime close U.S. partner, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said Islamabad's conduct raised "real questions" about the aims of its ballistic missile program.

"Candidly, it's hard for us to see Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States," Finer told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace audience.

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"Pakistan has developed increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors," he said.

If those trends continue, Finer said, "Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States."

His speech came a day after Washington announced a new roundof sanctions related to Pakistan's ballistic missile developmentprogram, including on the state-run defense agency that oversees the program.