(MENAFN- The Arabian Post)

By Dr. Arun Mitra

On October 29, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that 'Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War [the Pentagon] to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. This statement is not only disturbing but also extremely dangerous'. The last explosive nuclear weapon test carried out by the United States was back in 1992. Other than North Korea, no country has tested nuclear weapons since the late 1990s.

At a time when large parts of the world are already engulfed in direct or proxy wars-and when many regions face devastating civil conflicts leading to mass killings, starvation, and human suffering-such an order threatens to push the world into a new era of darkness. It would further intensify the already dangerous global arms race. Countries already possessing nuclear weapons will likely expand and modernize their arsenals even more rapidly. Moreover, nations with the technical capability to develop nuclear weapons may also feel compelled to join the race.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that if the United States does not withdraw this directive, Russia will respond accordingly. All the nuclear powers have been developing and testing improved delivery systems, most recently by Russia of its underwater 'Poseidon' nuclear drone and of the 'Burevestnik' nuclear powered nuclear-armed cruise missile. The Chinese Foreign Minister has appealed to the U.S. not to break the moratorium on nuclear testing.

Iran, which has long been a target of U.S. accusations regarding nuclear weapons development, has strongly condemned the move. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described President Trump's decision as both“regressive” and“irresponsible,” calling the U.S. leader a“nuclear-armed bully.” Iran's President says Tehran will rebuild its nuclear facilities. In June, the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that Washington says were part of a program geared towards developing nuclear weapons. The U.S.-led attack on Iraq was justified on the false claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Though Saddam Hussein's regime was swiftly overthrown, the invasion plunged the region into prolonged instability, violence, and chaos. A similar pattern was witnessed on June 22, 2025, when the U.S. Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran under“Operation Midnight Hammer,” as part of the Iran–Israel conflict. Iran rejected the allegations and condemned the attack in strong terms.

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Modern nuclear weapons are vastly more powerful than those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Scientific research has shown that any large-scale nuclear exchange among major powers would destroy the very foundations of modern civilization - an outcome built upon thousands of years of human progress. Even a limited nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan could endanger more than two billion lives. The evidence is clear: nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity and must be abolished.

Recognizing the grave dangers posed by nuclear weapons, there has long been global pressure on nuclear-armed states to move toward disarmament. While some treaties have been signed, the major powers have implemented them only partially and often reluctantly.

It is important to mention here few major arms reduction and control treaties. Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START I, II, and New START): Bilateral agreements between the U.S. and Russia aimed at reducing strategic nuclear weapons; Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (1987): Banned U.S. and Soviet land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500–5,500 km; Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty (1972): Limited the deployment of systems designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles; Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I & II): Capped the number of intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles; Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): Aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting disarmament. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT): Prohibits all nuclear explosions for any purpose; Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT): Prohibits nuclear testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) bans nuclear weapons entirely is the latest multilateral treaty which was passed by the UN General Assembly in July 2017. The treaty has already been signed by 95 countries and 74 have ratified it. Although the TPNW was passed in the United Nations General Assembly with overwhelming support, nuclear-armed countries neither participated in the deliberations nor have shown any intent to abolish their arsenals.

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Some satisfying news is that several regions have declared themselves nuclear-weapon-free zones. Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco), South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga), Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba), Southeast Asia (Treaty of Bangkok), Central Asia (Treaty of Semipalatinsk).

Mongolia is the only country to have declared itself a single-state nuclear-weapon-free zone, a status it established in 1992 and which has been recognized internationally. Its law prohibits the development, testing, possession, or transport of nuclear weapons or their components through its territory.

Unfortunately, there has been collapse of few key treaties. The INF Treaty effectively ended after the U.S. withdrawal in 2019, followed by Russia's official exit in 2025. The collapse of this landmark agreement has eroded mutual trust, heightened security risks, and increased the danger of a renewed arms race.

The New START Treaty, the last remaining agreement limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, is set to expire on February 4, 2026. If no new agreement replaces it, both nations will face a future without any legally binding restrictions on their nuclear arsenals.

The time has come for non-nuclear nations and peace-loving people everywhere to raise a united voice for the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Humanity's survival depends on collective courage, wisdom, and the rejection of false security built on weapons of mass destruction. A few nuclear weapons possessing countries particularly the US cannot be allowed to push the world to existential threat.

Peace cannot be safeguarded by fear - it must be built on justice, cooperation, and respect for all nations. (IPA Service )

The article US Cannot Be Allowed To Push The World To The Nuclear Precipice appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

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