US discussed conducting its first nuclear test in decades: Reports
The US administration under Donald Trump last week discussed whether to conduct its first nuclear test explosion since 1992. The Washington Post has reported, citing a senior official and two former officials familiar with the matter.
The topic surfaced at a meeting of senior officials representing the top national security agencies after accusations from the administration that Russia and China are conducting low-yield nuclear tests, the article said.
The Washington post article, quoted a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity that it waas discussed in the meeting how the “rapid test” could prove useful for US from a negotiating standpoint.
Washington is seeking a trilateral deal to regulate the arsenals of the biggest nuclear powers, however, the meeting did not conclude with any agreement to conduct a nuclear test.
A decision was ultimately taken to adopt other measures in response to threats posed by both Russia and China and avoid a resumption of nuclear testing.
US officials have not commented on the report.
The United States has not conducted a nuclear test explosion since September 1992, and nuclear nonproliferation advocates warned that doing so now could have devastating consequences.
The nuclear deliberations come close to the heels of Trump administration’s decision to leave the Treaty on Open Skies, a nearly 30-year-old pact that came into force in 2002 and was designed to reduce the chances of an accidental war by allowing mutual reconnaissance flights for members of the 34-country agreement.
