WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — The US government has moved to calm speculation over its nuclear testing programme after Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed that upcoming trials will not involve any live detonations.
Speaking on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, Wright said the tests ordered by President Donald Trump are “noncritical explosions” — trials designed to check the reliability and performance of nuclear systems without triggering an actual nuclear blast.
“These are not nuclear explosions,” Wright said. “They’re system tests that verify all the components work as intended.”
The clarification follows confusion after Trump posted on Truth Social that he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.” The remark, made shortly before a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, sparked international concern and led some to believe Washington was preparing to resume underground nuclear detonations for the first time since 1992.
When later pressed by reporters, Trump refused to confirm whether explosive testing was being considered, replying only, “You’ll find out very soon.”
The United States signed but never ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, yet it has observed its terms for more than three decades. Only North Korea has conducted live nuclear tests this century.
The renewed focus on US testing came after Russia announced trials of a nuclear-powered underwater drone and a nuclear-capable cruise missile. Moscow stressed that its tests did not violate the global ban on nuclear detonations but warned it would respond in kind if the US resumed live nuclear testing.
For defence observers, the clarification will ease some of the tension—but the political message remains unmistakable. The US is signalling that its nuclear deterrent remains active, modern, and ready, even without breaking long-standing international agreements.
