This handout from the US Air Force shows an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launching during a developmental test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on February 5, 2020. US President Donald Trump said on October 30, 2025, he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing on a level with China and Russia, just minutes before opening a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. CLAYTON WEAR / AFP
US President Donald Trump landed back in Washington on Thursday, October 30, after a surprise directive to begin nuclear weapons testing that raised the specter of renewed superpower tensions. The announcement on social media was issued just before Trump – who boasts frequently about being a "peace president" – went into a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.
But Trump's announcement left much unanswered – chiefly about whether he meant testing weapons systems or actually conducting test explosions, something the United States has not done since 1992. It appeared to alarm key US foe Iran, which criticized the directive as "irresponsible."
Vice President JD Vance said the US nuclear arsenal needed to be tested to ensure it actually "functions properly," but did not elaborate on what type of tests Trump had ordered. The president's statement "speaks for itself," Vance told reporters at the White House. "It's an important part of American national security to make sure that this nuclear arsenal we have actually functions properly, and that's part of a testing regime," he added.
