US President Donald Trump on Friday reaffirmed that the US would resume nuclear testing, following his announcement this week that he was directing the Pentagon to restart the weapons tests.While talking with reporters on Air Force One in midair, Trump gave an indirect answer when asked whether he would include the traditional underground nuclear tests that were common during the Cold War. “You’ll find out very soon. But we’re going to do some testing, yeah,” Trump said on Air Force One. “Other countries do it. If they’re going to do it, we’re going to do it. I’m not going to say here.”On Wednesday, Trump directed the Pentagon to immediately begin testing US nuclear weapons on an equal basis to China and Russia. “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” the President wrote in a Truth Social post. “This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”Also Read: ‘Because of other countries … ‘: Trump says US to start nuclear weapons testing; move follows Russia’s trialsThe announcement came less than an hour before his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on trade. Trump initially ignored a question from a reporter on the announcement during his meeting with Xi, but told reporters afterwards that the news “had to do with others” when asked whether it had to do with Xi. “They seem to all be nuclear testing. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody,” the President said. “We don’t do testing, and we halted it many years ago, but with others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he continued. North Korea is the only country that has carried out nuclear testing since the 1990s. Russia has been testing nuclear-capable weapons, which does not include setting off actual bombs. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been testing missiles capable of having nuclear warheads as recently as this week.
Why the US stopped testing nuclear bombs?
The United States conducted 1,054 nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992, most of them in Nevada, before halting amid growing environmental concerns and Cold War fatigue.During the 1950s, above-ground tests escalated tensions with the Soviet Union. President Eisenhower announced a pause in testing in 1958, assuming the Soviet Union would reciprocate, Axios reported.When the Soviets resumed tests in 1961, the US followed suit. In 1963, the US, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to end tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater, driven by environmental concerns and fallout from the Cuban Missile Crisis.The Threshold Test Ban Treaty of 1974 limited underground tests to yields below 150 kilotons. In 1992, Congress passed a resolution prohibiting underground nuclear tests unless another state conducted one, establishing the current moratorium. President Clinton signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1997, but the Senate rejected ratification on national security grounds. Globally, as of August 2025, 187 state parties have signed the CTBT and 178 have ratified it.
What it means for the US?
The US has signed — but not ratified — the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, leaving President Trump free under law to resume nuclear testing. His announcement has revived painful memories of the Cold War era, when open-air detonations sickened thousands across the American West. Lawmakers from Nevada, which hosted hundreds of tests, condemned the plan as both a public health hazard and a geopolitical provocation that could “lead to World War III,” Politico reported.Experts argue there’s no technical need for renewed testing, noting the US already certifies its nuclear arsenal as safe through advanced simulations and experiments. Each new test could cost $140 million and risk reigniting global tensions. Trump allies, however, claim testing would project strength to China and Russia. Analysts warn such a move could alienate US allies, undermine nuclear restraint, and spark a new arms race just as key arms control treaties near expiration.
