Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 3: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan is among the countries currently conducting nuclear weapons tests, asserting that the United States must resume its own testing program to maintain parity with global rivals.
In an interview, Trump said that several countries, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan, are testing nuclear weapons, while the US has refrained for over three decades. He argued that resuming tests is necessary to ensure America’s strategic edge.
“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. We’re an open society — we talk about it. We’re going to test because they test, and others test. Certainly, North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing,” Trump said, as quoted by NDTV.
When asked whether the US plans to restart live nuclear detonations after more than 30 years, Trump suggested that many nations conduct underground tests in secret. “They test deep underground where people can’t tell what’s happening. You feel a little vibration — they test, and we don’t. We have to test,” he said.
Trump further claimed that the US possesses more nuclear weapons than any other country, noting that he had discussed global denuclearisation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times,” he said. “Russia has a lot, and China will soon have a lot more. We need to test to understand how they work.”
Last week, Trump announced that the US would resume nuclear testing “immediately,” marking the end of a 33-year moratorium on such activities. In a post on Truth Social ahead of his meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea, he wrote:
“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.”
During his first term, Trump had claimed credit for a “complete update and renovation” of the US nuclear arsenal — an effort achieved without physical testing, thanks to advanced computer simulations.
He maintained, however, that renewed testing is unavoidable, citing competition from other powers. “I hate doing it, but I have no choice. Russia is second, and China is a distant third — but they’ll catch up within five years,” he said.
Experts have noted that no country except North Korea has conducted a nuclear test since 1998, when India and Pakistan last carried out test detonations. Trump’s latest remarks have drawn global attention, with analysts warning that any resumption of US testing could undermine international non-proliferation efforts and potentially trigger a new nuclear arms race.