After 33 years, America will start testing nuclear weapons again, mountains were melted by testing in 1992.

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defense (Pentagon) to immediately begin testing nuclear weapons just an hour before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said that US testing should be on par with China and Russia.

Preparations for nuclear test again after three decades
The US last conducted a nuclear test on September 23, 1992. It was the nation’s 1,030th and final test, conducted beneath the Rainier Mesa Mountains in Nevada. The explosion shook the ground, leaving a crater 150 meters wide. Note that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), signed in 1996, bans such tests, although the US and China have yet to formally ratify it.

Why does Trump want to do testing?
Trump said that Russia and China are constantly testing missile systems, so the US should do the same. “We have the most nuclear weapons, but if other countries are testing, we have to be ready,” he said. Experts believe that the order may not be related to actual explosive testing, but to testing preparations or non-explosive procedures.

Damage from nuclear tests
According to one study, radiation from past US nuclear tests caused the death or illness of nearly 6.9 million people. Scientists say that with modern technology, weapons can be tested without detonation.

World reaction and criticism after Trump’s statement

• Reactions to Trump’s decision on Chinese social media were mixed. Some scoffed at this, while others said, “If the US starts testing, so will China.”

• Russia has already tested a nuclear-powered missile. Trump, calling it a “misstep,” now continues down the same path.

How much has the threat increased?
Trump’s order could spark a new nuclear arms race in the world. Experts say that if testing begins, the global nuclear balance could be threatened, and it could take two to three years for the US to resume testing.