U.S. President Donald Trump has triggered international outrage after ordering the resumption of U.S. nuclear weapons testing, a move unseen since 1992. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth defended the directive as “responsible,” claiming it ensures America’s nuclear deterrent remains credible. However, the decision drew swift condemnation worldwide.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi labeled the move “regressive and irresponsible,” while Japan’s atomic bomb survivors’ group Nihon Hidankyo denounced it as “utterly unacceptable.” China urged the U.S. to uphold the global nuclear testing ban, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated that “nuclear testing can never be permitted.”
Trump justified his decision by citing Russia’s recent missile drills, insisting the U.S. must “test on an equal basis.” The order marks a sharp break from the decades-long moratorium first imposed in 1992, reigniting fears of escalating nuclear tensions between global powers.
