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US Rules Out Nuclear Explosions Despite Trump's Testing Directive
Energy Secretary Chris Wright dismissed fears of full-scale nuclear detonations on Sunday, clarifying that planned tests would involve only non-nuclear components-despite President Donald Trump's recent call to resume weapons testing in line with rival nations.
Speaking to Fox News, Wright sought to reassure residents near Nevada's historic test sites, stating, "These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions." He emphasized that the tests focus on verifying the mechanical and geometric functions of warheads without triggering a nuclear chain reaction.
Trump's Repeated Push for Testing Sparks Global Concerns
Trump's remarks, first posted on Truth Social and later reiterated in a 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday, had fueled speculation that the US might break its 33-year moratorium on live nuclear tests. "I'm saying that we're going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes," Trump told CBS's Norah O'Donnell, citing unconfirmed testing by Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan.
Both China and Russia swiftly denied the allegations. Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called China a "responsible nuclear-weapons state" committed to its testing moratorium, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attributed Trump's claims to misinterpreted reports about conventional weapons like the Poseidon and Burevestnik systems.
Global Nuclear Stockpiles Remain Opaque but Estimated
While exact warhead counts are classified, independent estimates suggest Russia holds roughly 5,500 nuclear weapons, with the US close behind at 5,200, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and Arms Control Association (ACA). China, the third-largest nuclear power, has expanded its arsenal to about 600 warheads-double its total from five years ago-and could surpass 1,000 by 2030, per the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
North Korea remains the only country to conduct nuclear tests since the 1990s, though Pyongyang declared a moratorium in 2018. Other nuclear-armed states, including the UK (225 warheads), France (290), and Pakistan (170), have maintained their testing pauses.
International Reactions and Diplomatic Pressure
China urged the US to "take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament regime," while Russia's Peskov implied Trump's statements stemmed from misunderstandings. Analysts note that even non-nuclear tests could escalate tensions, given the delicate balance of global arms control agreements.
"They don't go and tell you about it. I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test."
President Donald Trump, 60 Minutes interview, November 2025
What's Next
The Energy Department has not announced a timeline for the proposed tests, but Wright's comments suggest preparations are underway for subcritical experiments-last conducted in 2022-at the Nevada National Security Site. Observers warn that even limited testing could undermine the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which the US has signed but not ratified.
