Overview
- President Donald Trump announced the immediate resumption of U.S. nuclear weapons testing, saying he has directed the defense establishment to begin tests in response to other countries’ activities.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the move in Kuala Lumpur, calling it a responsible way to ensure a credible nuclear deterrent after talks with China’s defense minister.
- The United Nations reiterated that nuclear tests are unacceptable under any circumstances, China urged adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and Russia said its recent weapons trials were not nuclear tests.
- Analysts note ambiguity over what “testing” means, suggesting it could involve missile trials or subcritical experiments rather than full underground blasts, and they see no indication that an actual nuclear explosion has occurred.
- Experts warn that reviving full-scale tests would likely take years and require major funding and personnel to rebuild capabilities at sites such as Nevada, with even a basic test potentially costing more than $100 million.