Trump orders US nuclear tests

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump's surprise directive to begin nuclear weapons testing provoked global criticism yesterday, as it raised the spectre of renewed superpower tensions.

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The announcement on social media was issued just before Trump - who boasts frequently about being a peace president — went into a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.

Trump's announcement left much unanswered - chiefly whether he meant testing weapons systems or actually conducting test explosions, something the US has not done since 1992. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth defended Trump's directive as a “responsible” move. “We need to have a credible nuclear deterrent. That is the baseline of our deterrence,” Hegseth said on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian regional defence summit in Malaysia. “Having understanding and resuming testing is a pretty responsible, very responsible way to do that.”

Key US foe Iran yesterday called the directive “regressive and irresponsible”, adding that it was a threat to international security. “A nuclear-armed bully is resuming testing of atomic weapons. The same bully has been demonising Iran's peaceful nuclear programme,” foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media.