Overview
- Trump said he directed the Pentagon to start testing U.S. nuclear weapons “immediately,” but offered no details and misattributed oversight that belongs to the Department of Energy for any explosive tests.
- U.S. agencies have not provided operational specifics; the nominee to lead U.S. Strategic Command said he could not interpret the order and noted neither Russia nor China has conducted a confirmed nuclear explosive test in decades.
- Russia clarified its recent Burevestnik missile and Poseidon drone trials did not involve nuclear detonations and warned it would respond if the testing moratorium is broken, as the U.N., China and Iran criticized Trump’s move.
- Experts flagged factual errors in Trump’s post, including his claim that the U.S. has the largest arsenal, with SIPRI and FAS data showing Russia holds more warheads and that U.S. modernization remains underway.
- Analysts caution that resuming explosive testing would likely trigger reciprocal actions, offer limited technical benefit, jeopardize the Comprehensive Test‑Ban norm and complicate arms control as New START nears its February 2026 expiry.