Trump Announces Start of New Nuclear Tests in the United States

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday the immediate start of new nuclear weapons tests in the United States — the first such move in more than three decades.

In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump stated: “In light of the nuclear testing programs being conducted by other nations, I have directed the Department of Defense to begin testing our nuclear weapons on an equal footing,” adding, “This process will begin immediately.”

During a state dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Washington, Trump said that the United States “possesses the largest nuclear arsenal in the world,” noting that Russia ranks second, followed by China, “which could catch up with us within five years.”

The move marks a major shift in U.S. nuclear policy, as the last American nuclear test was conducted in 1992 before such testing was suspended under international treaties aimed at limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The new U.S. decision is expected to provoke widespread international reactions, particularly from Russia and China, at a time when global nuclear tensions are rising and competition over strategic deterrence capabilities is intensifying.