President Trump Directs Pentagon to Resume Nuclear Weapons Testing

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he has directed the Department of Defense to "immediately" resume testing of nuclear weapons. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately."

The United States has voluntarily refrained from nuclear explosive testing since 1992 but maintains the capability to conduct tests at the Nevada National Security Site. This decision comes ahead of Trump's scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

In recent developments, Russia conducted a test of a new long-range nuclear-powered underwater weapon on Wednesday and has recently tested a nuclear-capable missile. These actions have raised concerns about a potential new arms race.

During his first term, President Trump sought a significant increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, aiming for a nearly tenfold expansion, as reported by NBC News at the time.

The resumption of nuclear testing by the United States is expected to have significant implications for international arms control agreements and global security dynamics.