The United States sees Russia and China as its top challengers due to advancements in their military capabilities, the US intelligence community said in its Threat Assessment Report on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2021) The United States sees Russia and China as its top challengers due to advancements in their military capabilities, the US intelligence community said in its Threat Assessment Report on Tuesday.
The United States has concluded that Russia will remain the largest and most capable rival to the United States with respect to weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), the report said.
"We assess that Russia will remain the largest and most capable WMD rival to the United States for the foreseeable future as it expands and modernizes its nuclear weapons capabilities and increases the capabilities of its strategic and nonstrategic weapons," the report said.
China is increasingly the United States' near-peer competitor economically, militarily, and technologically, as Beijing seeks to change the global norms, the report said.
The Biden administration has noted that China is not interested in arms control agreements that will restrict its plans to modernize its military.
Moreover, the report said the United States has concluded that China poses a "prolific, effective" threat in cyber-espionage capabilities.
However, Russia will remain a top cyber threat to the United States by employing refined espionage, influence, and cyber attack capabilities, the report said.
The United States expects Russia to seek opportunities where bilateral cooperation is possible with Washington on its own terms, the report said.
In addition, Iran is likely to boost uranium enrichment or build a new nuclear reactor if it receives no sanctions relief from the United States, the report said.
"If Tehran does not receive sanctions relief, Iranian officials probably will consider options ranging from further enriching uranium up to 60 percent to designing and building a new 40 Megawatt Heavy Water reactor," the report said.
Iran started enrichment of uranium to 60 percent on Tuesday, the IRNA news agency reported, citing Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un may resume nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile testing to reshape the regional security environment, the report said.
Pyongyang may also seek to drive wedges between the United States and its allies, the report added.
