US President Donald Trump has recently reignited the global nuclear weapons debate by asserting that several countries, including Pakistan, are conducting secret underground nuclear tests. Speaking in a candid interview, Trump expressed concern that while nations like Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan are actively testing their nuclear arsenals, the United States has refrained from such tests for over three decades. He emphasized the need for America to resume nuclear weapons testing to maintain strategic parity and global power stature.

Trump claimed that countries are conducting these tests covertly, often deep underground, where seismic vibrations might be detected but the tests themselves remain shrouded in secrecy. He pointed out that the US cannot afford to be the only nation abstaining from testing, given these developments in other nuclear states. According to him, the US holds the largest nuclear stockpile worldwide, capable of extensive destructive power, but modernization and ongoing testing are necessary to ensure the reliability of this arsenal.

This announcement comes amid reports that Russia has recently tested advanced nuclear-capable systems, including missile technology, and China continues to modernize its nuclear forces. Trump’s stance appears to signal a push to counterbalance these advancements by restarting US testing programs, a move that could mark the first such tests since 1992.

However, this statement sparked immediate responses internationally. Pakistani officials have firmly denied the claims that they are conducting nuclear tests, stating that Pakistan adheres to a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing despite not being a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Similarly, China dismissed such allegations as baseless, reiterating its commitment to a self-defense nuclear posture without nuclear testing.

Experts highlight that Trump's call for resuming nuclear tests could disrupt the longstanding global norm against nuclear explosions, upheld by most nuclear powers, including the US, Russia, and China, which have maintained a testing moratorium for over 25 years. Critics warn that reinitiating testing may trigger a new arms race, undermining decades of non-proliferation efforts and potentially escalating global tensions. The US government clarified that while Trump ordered immediate preparations for testing, the current phase would not involve actual nuclear explosions but focus on modernizing and validating parts of the nuclear weapons system.