Trump’s surprise order to resume nuclear testing stirs global alarm

US President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, a dramatic reversal of a more-than-30-year US moratorium that officials and experts say could destabilise international arms-control norms and provoke sharp foreign reactions. 

In a post on Truth Social shortly before a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, Trump said the United States must match other countries that have been advancing their nuclear programs, an argument White House allies echoed in public statements. 

It remained unclear whether the order referred to full explosive (nuclear-device) tests or to other kinds of weapons-oriented tests and assessments, US officials in congressional hearings described a mix of operational and technical steps that could take months or years to execute. 

The announcement prompted immediate criticism from US lawmakers, international organisations and foreign governments. Democratic senators called the directive dangerous and reckless, warning it could trigger a new arms race, while the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) reportedly warned that any explosive test would be harmful to global peace and security and noted its global monitoring network is ready to detect such activity.