Overview
- President Donald Trump said he directed the Defense Department to conduct nuclear-weapons experiments and declared that preparations would start immediately.
- The CTBTO and the United Nations condemned the prospect of an explosive test, and the CTBTO stressed its global monitoring system can detect any nuclear explosion.
- Uncertainty persists over whether the directive signals an explosive detonation or activities tied to modernization, with a U.S. Strategic Command deputy suggesting the president may not have meant a live test.
- The United States has not conducted an explosive nuclear test since 1992, and a Congressional Research Service report says restarting such testing would likely take 24 to 36 months from a presidential decision.
- Analysts note China and Russia have not conducted explosive tests in recent decades and that only North Korea has done so in the 21st century, while experts warn a U.S. test could trigger destabilizing responses.