Nuclear Testing Tensions
Tehran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticized United States President Donald Trump’s announcement instructing the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, denouncing the decision as regressive and irresponsible.
In a post shared on X Araghchi accused Washington of hypocrisy and double standards. Having rebranded its ‘Department of Defense’ as the ‘Department of War,’ a nuclear-armed bully is resuming testing of atomic weapons, he wrote. He further accused the U.S. of demonizing Iran’s peaceful nuclear program while threatening strikes against safeguarded facilities, calling such actions a blatant violation of international law.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social just hours before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. He said the Pentagon had been directed to resume testing on an equal basis with Russia and China, claiming that their nuclear capabilities could rival the United States’ within five years.
Experts suggest Trump’s decision is likely motivated by recent Russian and Chinese military advancements rather than ongoing disputes with Iran. Ankit Panda, a nuclear security specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told that the move reflects strategic signaling more than practical necessity. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this week that Moscow successfully tested its Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo and new Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missiles earlier this month. The renewed U.S. testing directive has drawn concern from international observers, who fear it could reignite a global nuclear arms race and further destabilize fragile diplomatic efforts aimed at non-proliferation.
