President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate resumption of US nuclear weapons testing, ending a three-decade moratorium on the practice.
The US president announced the major policy reversal in a dramatic social media post just hours before a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday (October 30).
The directive overturns a long-standing US policy that has been in place since the end of the Cold War and signals a significant shift in the country’s defence and geopolitical posture.
A ‘no choice’ decision to counter Russia and China
In his announcement, President Trump cited the testing programs of rival powers as the primary justification for the decision. He stated that the US must keep pace with the arsenals of Russia and China.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” he wrote on social media.
Trump acknowledged the “tremendous destructive power” of such weapons but said he had “no choice” but to modernize the US arsenal.
The move comes just days after the president denounced Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile. He also asserted that China’s nuclear program “will be even within 5 years,” framing the resumption of testing as a necessary response to a growing threat.
Reversing a 30-year post-Cold War policy
The order marks the end of a US policy that has stood for over 30 years.
The last American nuclear weapons test was conducted on September 23, 1992, after which President George H.W. Bush implemented a moratorium.
That final test, codenamed “Divider” took place at an underground facility in the Nevada desert and was the 1,054th test conducted by the United States, according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The decision to halt testing was widely seen as a key step in de-escalating nuclear tensions following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Immediate start, but details remain unclear
While President Trump stated that the “process will begin immediately,” his post did not include specifics on the timing, location, or nature of the future tests.
The historic Nevada Test Site, located 65 miles north of Las Vegas, remains operational and is maintained by the US government.
According to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, “If deemed necessary, the site could be authorised again for nuclear weapons testing.”
The timing of the announcement, made while Trump was en route to meet President Xi, adds another layer of complexity to the already tense diplomatic landscape.
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