October 30, 2025

Get ready for a nuclear blast of news! On Thursday, just minutes before facing Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell – literally! He ordered the U.S. military to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year pause. Why such a dramatic move? Let's dive into the fiery world of nuclear history and find out! The nuclear age began with a bang in July 1945 in New Mexico, when the U.S. tested its first 20-kiloton atomic bomb. Soon after, in August 1945, the U.S. changed history by dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. But the Soviet Union wasn’t far behind—it shocked the world in 1949 by testing its own nuclear bomb. Between 1945 and 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests shook the earth. The U.S. led the pack with 1,032 tests, followed by the Soviet Union’s 715. Britain, France, and China also joined the nuclear club with their tests. Then came the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996, putting an official stop to all nuclear explosions worldwide. The U.S. signed but never ratified it, while Russia recently revoked ratification. Since then, a handful of nuclear tests happened mainly by India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Why did the world hit pause? The big worry was the massive harm these tests caused to people and the environment. Places like the Pacific islands, Kazakhstan, and the Arctic have suffered greatly, with millions facing health issues from nuclear fallout. Stopping tests was a way to cool down the Cold War heat and reduce tensions. So why would Trump press the nuclear button again? Testing is the only way to know if new nuclear weapons work perfectly or if old ones have gone rusty. But it’s not just about science – it’s a message. Such tests would shout to rivals like Russia and China, "We're still strong!" Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin has warned that if the U.S. tests again, Russia will follow suit, pushing the world into an even hotter nuclear arms race. Already, the world’s biggest nuclear powers have thousands of warheads. Russia has about 5,459, and the U.S. about 5,177. Behind them, China has 600, France 290, and India 180 among others. All are busy upgrading their weapons. From early atomic bombs to modern nuclear weapons, this sizzling saga is far from over. Trump's bold order shakes global peace and raises the stakes in the uneasy dance of power between nuclear giants. Will this spark a new era of arms testing or force talks for peace? The world watches with bated breath.

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Tags: Nuclear weapons, Nuclear testing, Donald trump, Russia, China, Ctbt,