"World Halts Nuclear Tests...Longest Hiatus Since North Korea in 2017"

The Last Nuclear Test by a Nuclear-Armed State Was in 1998
Trump Ordered Resumption of Nuclear Testing Last Year

On January 15 (local time), CNN reported that since North Korea's nuclear test on September 3, 2017, no country in the world has conducted a nuclear test, marking the longest period without nuclear testing since 1945.

Dylan Spaulding, a scientist with the anti-nuclear group Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), wrote in a blog post the previous day that since North Korea's sixth nuclear test on September 3, 2017, there have been no nuclear tests anywhere in the world for 8 years, 4 months, and 11 days, up until January 14, 2026, making it the longest period without nuclear testing in history.

The previous longest period without nuclear testing was from May 30, 1998, when Pakistan conducted its last nuclear test, until October 3, 2006, when North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, a span of 8 years, 4 months, and 3 days. The last nuclear tests by nuclear-armed states occurred between 1990 and 1998.

Spaulding questioned whether this trend can continue, noting that former U.S. President Donald Trump declared on October 30 of last year that the United States would resume nuclear weapons testing.

At the time, President Trump stated on Truth Social, "Due to other countries' testing programs, I have directed the Department of Defense (the Department of War) to initiate our nuclear weapons testing on an equal footing."

Spaulding argued, "The United States is one of the countries that stands to lose the most from a full-scale resumption of nuclear testing," adding, "Resuming nuclear tests would disregard the international norm established by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), could actually undermine confidence in U.S. nuclear capabilities, and would face strong public opposition due to environmental impacts, making it unnecessary and unwise."

However, some interpret President Trump's push for U.S. nuclear weapons testing as more likely referring to performance tests to demonstrate the power of missiles or underwater nuclear assets, rather than actual nuclear detonations.