U.S. holds talks on conducting nuclear tests

Such a test would be a significant departure from U.S. defence policy and dramatically up the ante for other nuclear-armed nations.

President Donald Trump’s administration has discussed holding the first U.S. nuclear test since 1992 as a potential warning to Russia and China, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Such a test would be a significant departure from U.S. defence policy and dramatically up the ante for other nuclear-armed nations. One analyst told the newspaper that if it were to go ahead it would be seen as the “starting gun to an unprecedented nuclear arms race”.

The report, citing one senior administration official and two former officials, all who spoke anonymously, said the discussion had taken place at a meeting on May 15.

The meeting did not conclude with any agreement, and the sources were divided over whether discussions were still ongoing.