NEW DELHI: In a provocative new claim that has stirred debate, US President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan is among several nations currently conducting nuclear weapons tests, a statement that could have far-reaching global implications.
In an interview aired Sunday on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Trump defended his administration’s controversial decision to resume American nuclear testing after a hiatus of more than three decades. He asserted that countries including Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan were already conducting such tests, while the United States had “held back.”
“Russia's testing and China's testing, but they don't talk about it. We're 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 are going to be writing about it,” Trump said.
“We're going to test because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea's been testing. Pakistan's been testing,” he said. Trump also claimed the US does not “necessarily know” where these “powerful” nations that are testing nuclear weapons are, but asserted the testing is being done.
“They-- they test way under-- underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration. They test and we don't test. We have to test,” he said.
Trump’s remarks mark the first time a sitting US president has publicly talked about Pakistan continuing nuclear testing, a claim that, if substantiated, could raise serious concerns about Islamabad’s compliance with international nuclear norms. Pakistan last conducted public nuclear detonations in May 1998, following India’s Pokhran-II tests. Islamabad has not yet issued any official response, though its long-standing position maintains that its nuclear programme is purely defensive and governed by strict command-and-control mechanisms.
The comments have drawn scrutiny from both strategic analysts and international diplomats, who warn that such allegations could strain Washington’s already complex relations with Islamabad and heighten tensions across South Asia.
Amid growing questions about the scope of the planned U.S. testing, Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified in a separate Fox News interview that the administration’s proposal does not involve live nuclear detonations. “These are system tests — non-critical explosions,” Wright explained. “They involve all other parts of the nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the right geometry and safety functions.”
In the same interview, Trump also touched on tensions in the Indo-Pacific, asserting that Chinese President Xi Jinping would not invade Taiwan “while President Trump is president,” citing what he called a clear “understanding” between them.
Reiterating his stance, Trump argued that renewed U.S. testing is “necessary and appropriate,” insisting, “Other countries are testing. We’re the only one that doesn’t, and I don’t want to be that country.”
