Heat-seeking interception of a fast re-entry vehicle

Would you use a thermal seeker to guide an interceptor onto a ballistic missile?

The objection is that the tracked hot region can lag the interception point, so following that signal could put the interceptor behind the target.

The question concerns an interceptor tracking a ballistic missile. The objection raised is that the detected hot region can appear behind the position where the interceptor needs to meet the rapidly moving vehicle. The explanation distinguishes this tracking problem from simply locking onto an engine exhaust plume. The panel returns to the point and notes that a re-entry vehicle usually has no exhaust plume during its descent.