Trump shocks global community, naming Pakistan among nations “secretly testing” nukes underground; vows America will restart testing to maintain dominance.
In a bombshell revelation that reverberated across global security circles, U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Pakistan of secretly conducting underground nuclear tests, grouping it with Russia, China, and North Korea as nations violating the spirit of the long-standing moratorium on nuclear detonations.
Speaking on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Trump claimed that “they test way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening… you feel a little vibration—they test, and we don’t.” He asserted that America must resume nuclear weapons testing to maintain strategic parity, declaring:
“We’re the only country that doesn’t test. That’s going to change. We have to test.”
This is the first time an American president has publicly accused Pakistan—a U.S. ally receiving billions in aid—of continuing clandestine nuclear activity since its last known tests in 1998, following India’s Pokhran-II series.
Diplomatic sources said the remarks have triggered urgent consultations within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western intelligence alliances. If verified, such testing would constitute a serious breach of international nuclear norms, putting Pakistan’s already opaque weapons program under unprecedented scrutiny.
Trump emphasized that while Russia and China conduct concealed nuclear activity, Washington alone abides by its self-imposed test ban:
“They test, but they don’t talk about it. We talk about it. And you’ll report it.”
His statement underscores the administration’s shift toward nuclear assertiveness—a posture aligning with renewed great-power competition against Beijing and Moscow.
Pakistan has not issued an official response, though Islamabad has long maintained its “credible minimum deterrence” doctrine and insists its nuclear arsenal is defensive and secure under strict command control.
Following Trump’s comments, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright sought to clarify that the proposed testing program would involve non-critical system tests, not live detonations.
“These are safety and geometry system checks, not explosions,” Wright told Fox News, stressing the goal was to modernize America’s ageing nuclear arsenal through simulation-supported trials.
Still, Trump’s blunt declaration that he instructed the “Department of War” to begin testing “on an equal basis” fueled global alarm, hinting at a potential return to Cold War-era brinkmanship.
Trump also revealed he had discussed denuclearization with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, warning that the U.S. must not fall behind.
“We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times,” he said. “Russia has a lot, and China quite a bit too.”
Analysts note that bringing Pakistan into this accusation dramatically expands the geopolitical scope of nuclear rivalry. For Israel and democratic allies in the Indo-Pacific, Trump’s statement reinforces the urgent need to monitor China-Pakistan military cooperation, particularly amid growing suspicions of Beijing’s role in Pakistan’s nuclear modernization.
