US President Trump Orders Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing, Ending 33-Year Moratorium

President Trump Directs Pentagon to Resume Nuclear Testing

Washington, D.C. – On October 30, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an order to the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, a move that would end a 33-year moratorium observed by the United States. The directive was announced via a post on Truth Social, just moments before the President's high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea.

President Trump stated that the decision was made 'because of other countries testing programs,' specifically referencing Russia and China, and instructed the 'Department of War' (referring to the Defense Department) to 'start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.' He added that 'That process will begin immediately.'

End of a Decades-Long Moratorium

The last full-scale nuclear weapons test conducted by the United States was code-named 'Divider,' which took place on September 23, 1992, at the Nevada National Security Site. Following this, President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium on nuclear testing, which was subsequently extended by President Bill Clinton. The United States has since observed a unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosive testing and is a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), though it has not ratified the treaty.

Arms control experts have noted that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), not the Pentagon, is responsible for nuclear test readiness. Technical assessments suggest that a return to underground nuclear explosive testing would likely require at least 36 months, and the NNSA has not requested funding for test readiness as a separate program since 2010.

Catalyst: Russian Nuclear Advancements

The President's order comes in the wake of perceived recent advancements in nuclear weapons programs by Russia. Just one day prior to Trump's announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, known as Poseidon. This followed earlier tests of a Burevestnik cruise missile. Russia has been actively modernizing its nuclear arsenal, developing hypersonic systems such as Avangard, Kinzhal, and Tsirkon, and nuclear-powered delivery systems. Furthermore, Russia 'de-ratified' the CTBT in 2023.

International Reaction and Implications

The announcement has drawn immediate international attention and concern. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed shock at President Trump's statements, highlighting the existing worldwide moratorium on nuclear testing. Arms control advocates have voiced strong opposition to the decision. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, described the move as a 'bad idea,' 'unnecessary and escalatory,' warning it could 'trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by U.S. adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.'

It remains unclear whether President Trump's order refers to nuclear-explosive testing or the flight testing of nuclear-capable missiles. The decision marks a significant shift in United States nuclear policy, potentially reshaping global arms control efforts and international relations.