US heading for underground nuclear tests? Donald Trump refuses to rule out possibility

US President Donald Trump on Friday hinted at resuming underground nuclear tests, but did not provide a confirmation on whether the United States would actually start doing it.

“You'll find out very soon,” the US President told reporters aboard his Air Force One.

Responding to a question from news agency AFP, Trump said that the US would resume nuclear testing if other countries do so, but maintained ambiguity over the type of test he was referring to.

“We're going to do some testing, yeah, and other countries do it. If they're going to do it, we're going to do it,” he said during his journey to Palm Beach, Florida.

US resuming nuclear tests?

Donald Trump on Thursday instructed the US Department of War to start testing US nuclear weapons on an immediate basis, a move that seemed to be a message for China and Russia.

Boasting about the number of nuclear weapons US possesses, Trump said that Russia and China come second and third to America but will soon be even.

“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years,” he posted on Truth Social.

Trump said that the US action is triggered by other countries performing nuclear tests.

“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.”

The move marks the first time in 33 years when the US will conduct nuclear tests. The first such test was conducted in 1945, and the last one conducted on September 23, 1992, underground at the Nevada Test Site.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to nuclear-explosive testing, which would be carried out by the National Nuclear Security Administration, or flight testing of nuclear-capable missiles.

Apart from North Korea, which conducted its last known explosive nuclear weapons test in 2017, no other nuclear power has carried out such a test in over 25 years.

Trump had on his way back to Washington told reporters on Thursday that the US will conduct tests if other countries do so, adding that the sites for the same will be determined later.

“I'd like to see a denuclearisation because we have so many and Russia's second and China's third and China will catch up within four or five years,” he said.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its latest annual report that Russia possesses 5,459 nuclear warheads, compared to 5,177 for the United States and 600 for China.