Trump Announces Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing After Three Decades

Darwin, 30 October- 

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the United States may resume nuclear weapons testing in response to the actions of rival countries. He made this announcement just before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to a report by CNN.

In a social media post, Trump wrote, “The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country in the world. Russia is second, and China is far behind, but they will reach parity within five years.”

He further said, “Because of the experimental programs of other countries, I have instructed the Department of Defense to begin testing our nuclear weapons accordingly. This process will start immediately.”

This statement signals a significant shift in U.S. nuclear policy. According to information from the U.S. Congressional Research Service, the country has voluntarily observed a moratorium on nuclear explosive testing since 1992.

During Trump’s first term, his administration had stated, “There are currently no plans to conduct nuclear weapons testing.”

Since China’s last test in 1996, no major nuclear power—neither the United States, Russia, nor China—has conducted nuclear tests. Russia conducted its last nuclear test in 1990, while the U.S. last tested in 1992.

The most recent nuclear test in the world was carried out by North Korea in 2017. However, major nuclear powers continue to advance and test their weapons delivery systems and missile technologies.

Trump’s announcement comes immediately after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile.

Meanwhile, North Korea recently conducted multiple cruise missile tests, announcing that it is further strengthening its “nuclear war readiness.”

The U.S. Navy also completed tests of four nuclear-capable Trident missiles in September.

China has constructed at least three new ballistic missile launch facilities in recent years and conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in the Pacific Ocean in 2024.

In 2023, CNN reported that the United States, Russia, and China—all three countries—are building new facilities and tunneling at their nuclear test sites, as captured by satellite imagery.

At the time, Professor Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies told CNN, “All the signals we are seeing indicate that Russia, China, and the United States may all resume nuclear testing.”