US President Donald Trump has stirred global debate after claiming that Pakistan is among the countries “testing nuclear weapons,” a statement that has prompted widespread attention and a response request from Islamabad’s Foreign Office.
During a televised interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump defended his recent directive to the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, asserting that several nations — including North Korea, Russia, China, and Pakistan — continue to test their nuclear arsenals covertly.
“North Korea has been testing. Pakistan has been testing. […] But they don’t go and tell you about it,” Trump said, adding that he did not want the United States to be “the only country that doesn’t test.”
The comments came after Trump posted on social media instructing the US Department of War to “immediately” resume nuclear testing — a move that has drawn confusion and criticism, given that the US has not conducted a full-scale nuclear detonation since 1992.
When pressed by the interviewer about whether the US would officially restart nuclear explosions, Trump replied:
“I am saying that we are going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do.”
Fact-Checking Trump’s Assertion
Currently, the only country confirmed to have conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century is North Korea, with its most recent test in 2017. Both Russia and China have not carried out any acknowledged nuclear tests since 1990 and 1996, respectively.
Trump, however, insisted that other nations, including Pakistan, continue to conduct underground tests undetected:
“They test way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration,” he claimed.
The former president argued that testing was essential for national security, stating,
“You make nuclear weapons and then you don’t test. How are you going to know if they work? We have to do that.”
Global Reactions
Following Trump’s remarks, China’s Foreign Ministry swiftly denied conducting any nuclear weapons tests, calling itself a “responsible nuclear-weapons state.”
Spokeswoman Mao Ning stated in Beijing:
“China has always upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy and abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
She further urged Washington to “take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has yet to issue an official response to Trump’s assertion, though experts expect a clarification given the sensitivity of nuclear-related allegations.
Background and Context
The United States remains a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear explosions, though it has not ratified the treaty. Pakistan, like several other nuclear powers, has observed a voluntary moratorium on testing since 1998 — the year it conducted its last underground nuclear tests in response to India’s.
Analysts say Trump’s remarks risk reigniting tensions around nuclear deterrence and transparency, particularly at a time when global arms control efforts are under strain.
Conclusion
Trump’s bold assertion linking Pakistan to covert nuclear testing has raised diplomatic eyebrows and renewed discussion over the future of nuclear policy under his potential return to the White House. As of now, there is no independent evidence supporting his claim — but the statement has once again placed Pakistan’s nuclear posture in the global spotlight.
In other news also read about Trump Shocks World: US to Resume Nuclear Testing After 30 Years
