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US President Donald Trump has asserted that Pakistan is among the countries allegedly carrying out nuclear tests, arguing that he does not want the United States to remain the only nation refraining from doing so.
His remarks came during an appearance on CBS’s 60 Minutes, where he claimed, “North Korea is testing, Pakistan is testing, but they don’t tell you about it,” while discussing his recent push for the Pentagon to resume nuclear testing.
Trump had earlier posted on social media that he directed the Department of Defense to “immediately” restart nuclear tests, prompting confusion about whether Washington was preparing for its first nuclear detonation since 1992. When pressed on the matter during the interview, Trump reiterated that the US possesses more nuclear weapons than any other nation and said he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping about nuclear disarmament.
He stated that the US, Russia, and China have enough nuclear capability to destroy the planet multiple times, insisting that testing is necessary to ensure weapon functionality.
“Russia announced it would test. North Korea keeps testing. Other countries are doing it. We are the only country that doesn’t,” he said, explaining that he does not want the US to stand alone in halting tests.
The host countered his claim, noting that aside from North Korea, no country has conducted nuclear tests since the 1990s. Trump rejected this, alleging that Russia and China conduct undetectable underground tests and only appear compliant because they operate outside public scrutiny.
Expanding on his argument, Trump claimed that Pakistan also conducts underground nuclear tests, saying, “North Korea does it. Pakistan does it. They don’t tell you. They do it deep underground where no one knows. You just feel a little tremor.”
He maintained that although he hopes nuclear weapons are never used, the US must continue testing to ensure its arsenal remains operational.
The Foreign Office has not yet issued an official response to Trump’s statements.
