Donald Trump’s command for the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing will not include explosive tests, for now, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Wright, whose agency oversees the National Nuclear Security Administration, told Fox News that the Trump administration is not planning to perform nuclear explosions “right now.”

“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests,” he told The Sunday Briefing. “These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call noncritical explosions. So you’re testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon.”

Last week, the president ordered the Pentagon to “start testing our Nuclear Weapons” — a process he said would begin “immediately,” ending a 33-year-old moratorium on U.S. nuclear testing and inviting a global arms race among the world’s nuclear powers.

Trump doubled down on his order in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, which was taped before Wright’s interview. “If we have them, we have to test them, otherwise you don’t really know how they’re gonna work,” Trump told Norah O’Donnell.

Donald Trump’s administration is expected to test nuclear weapons systems after the president commanded the Pentagon to ‘immediately’ resume testing to keep up with other nuclear powers. (AP)

The president’s announcement on his Truth Social account fueled confusion and alarm among nuclear scientists and experts, who warned that his “reckless” and vague instructions could risk triggering the first major build up of warheads among world powers in decades.

Trump did not include any details about the tests, but the announcement appeared designed to boost U.S. development in a race against modernized nuclear weapons delivery systems from Russia and China.

World powers possess more than 12,000 nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists. The United States and Russia possess roughly 87 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons inventory and 83 percent of warheads available for military use.

The last confirmed nuclear test by the United States was in 1992 under then-President George H.W. Bush. China has reportedly not tested a nuclear weapon since 1996, and Russia’s most recent tests involved delivery systems, not actual detonation of a nuclear device; Trump’s announcement followed news that Russia had successfully tested its nuclear-capable weapons system.

But reigniting long-dormant nuclear weapons testing isn’t as simple as flipping a switch — and a single test could take months, or years, and require congressional approval.

The United States does have a facility for underground nuclear weapons tests: the Energy Department’s Nevada Test Site, roughly 65 miles north of Las Vegas, where the government last tested a nuclear warhead in 1992.

Experts estimate resuming tests at that facility or others could cost at least $100 million.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright — whose agency oversees nuclear development — suggested the administration would be testing weapons delivery systems, not conducting explosive tests, for now (REUTERS)

Most nuclear weapons testing was banned under the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, except for underground tests. Underground tests weren’t banned until the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which was signed by the world’s atomic powers in 1996.

But the treaty was never ratified in the United States; it was rejected by the Senate in 1999, leaving it effectively unenforced. Russia rescinded its ratification of the treaty in 2023, pointing to the United States’ failure to do so.

North Korea is believed to be the only country to have openly tested a nuclear weapon in this century, in 2017.

Before Trump’s announcement, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists had set the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds to midnight, “the closest it has ever been to catastrophe.”

“Any actual move to return to explosive testing would set off a cascade with the other nuclear-armed states likely to follow,” according to Bulletin president Alexandra Bell.

“No one would benefit from that more than China, as they are currently building up their nuclear forces, but lack the extensive testing data that the United States possesses,” she said in a statement to The Independent.

But another key safeguard against a global arms race between two major nuclear powers is set to expire in February.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty has sought to limit the United States and Russia to no more than 1,550 deployed warheads on no more than 700 operational launchers, but no talks appear to be underway on another agreement.

A failure to renew an agreement “risks the first major buildup of deployed U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons in more than 35 years,” according to Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association.

President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela looks on during a rally to commemorate Indigenous Resistance Day on October 12, in Caracas, Venezuela. Jesus Vargas/Getty Image

President Donald Trump suggested Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power is coming to an end, while refusing to say whether the United States is preparing military action on land.

“I would say yeah. I think so,” Trump said when asked during a “60 Minutes” interview whether Maduro’s days as president are numbered.

When pressed about reports of possible strikes inside Venezuela, Trump declined to confirm or deny them.

“I mean, I’m not saying it’s true or untrue,” he said.

“I’m not going tell you what I’m going do with Venezuela if I was going do it or if I wasn’t going to do it,” he added.

Earlier in the interview, Trump dismissed the idea that the US was headed toward war with Venezuela after a significant military buildup near its coast.

“I doubt it. I don’t think so,” Trump said.

Some context: CNN reported last month that Trump was considering plans to target cocaine facilities and drug trafficking routes inside Venezuela. The US military has steadily carried out strikes on alleged drug boats in international waters over the last two months.

US President Donald Trump doubled down on his decision to restart nuclear testing in the United States on Sunday, suggesting that despite enough weapons with the US to “blow up” dozens of countries, Russia and China’s nuke ambitions are a reason to resume tests. Doubling down on his decision to restart nuclear testing, the US president further said that he does not want Washington to be the only country that does not test its weapons.(REUTERS)

In an interview with CBS’ 60 minutes, the Republican leader stated that his decision came after realising that the US cannot be the only country that does not carry out tests, despite having a massive arsenal.

Hours before his much-anticipated meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Trump took to Truth Social, as he does, to order the Department of Defence to start nuclear testing “immediately.”

‘Enough weapons to blow up the world’

Speaking to CBS, he defended his call, citing nuclear tests by China, Russia and North Korea.

“We have more nuclear weapons than any other country. And I think we should do something about denuclearization. And I did actually discuss that with both President Putin and President Xi. We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times. Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons, and China will have a lot,” he told CBS.

The US president further added that he does not want Washington to be the only country that does not test its weapons.

“You know, you do have to— and the reason I’m saying— testing is because Russia announced that they were going to be doing a test. If you notice, North Korea’s testing constantly. Other countries are testing. We’re the only country that doesn’t test, and I want to be— I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test,” said Trump.

Trump’s announcement of Truth Social also came in the background of Russia testing its powerful “unlimited range” nuclear missile – the Burevestnik.

The Republican leader further added that while Russia and China do not openly share their tests with the world, the US is an “open society”.

“We’re different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it, because otherwise you people are going to report— they don’t have reporters that going to be writing about it. We do,” he added.

Trump’s call to restart nuclear testing after 30 years in the US has also been met by some skepticism on Capitol Hill, where his nominee to lead STRATCOM (which is the defence department’s command for strategic deterrence and global strike capabilities) stated that both China and Russia have not been conducting explosive nuclear tests.

“I believe the quote was, ‘start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis.’ Neither China or Russia has conducted a nuclear explosive test, so I’m not reading anything into it or reading anything out to it,” said Vice Admiral Richard Correll in a testimonial on Capitol Hill.

Also Read | No explosions in Trump’s testing plans for US nuclear weapons: Energy secretary

The last time the US conducted a nuclear testing was in September 1992 as part of ‘Operation Julin’.

Operation Julin was a group of seven nuclear tests and were the last to be held before negotiations began for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

CTBT is an intern-national agreement which bans all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposed. It has been signed by a total of 187 countries, including China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel and even Russia.

This ban treaty, however, has only been ratified and enforced by 178 countries. The US remains a signatory of the treaty, but has not ratified it.

Russian officials say 120 attack drones launched into border region by Ukraine in 24 hours

Ukrainian forces have launched more than 120 attack drones into Russia’s Belgorod region over the past day, Russian officials say.

The border region’s operational headquarters reported 43 enemy drones were destroyed in the 24 hours up to 7am Moscow time today.

A statement said that 17 out of 26 drones were downed or jammed in the Valuiki municipal district, but that a female civilian was killed when one detonated, leaving another three people wounded.

It added that in the Graivoron municipality, just five out of 26 drones were jammed, while 10 of 18 drones were stopped in the Shebekino municipal district.

It was not possible to independently verify the claims.