President Donald Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to resume U.S. nuclear weapons testing — ending a 33-year moratorium — has drawn swift condemnation from the United Nations and prominent members of the U.S. Senate, who warn the move could destabilize global security and reverse hard-won progress on non-proliferation.

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At a press briefing on Thursday, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq reaffirmed the organization’s opposition to nuclear testing, stating that such actions “must never be allowed under any circumstances.” He underscored that Secretary-General António Guterres “has long warned that nuclear risks are alarmingly high and that all measures must be taken to avoid miscalculation or escalation with catastrophic consequences.”

Haq recalled the “tragic legacy of more than 2,000 nuclear tests conducted over the past 80 years, virtually throughout the history of the United Nations,” emphasizing that renewed testing would mark a dangerous setback for global disarmament efforts.

The U.S. president’s order to immediately restart testing represents the first such move since 1992, breaking a moratorium that had symbolized international restraint. Critics say the unilateral decision could trigger a new phase of competition among nuclear-armed states and undermine global stability.

In Washington, several lawmakers denounced the plan. Senator Jeanne Shaheen called the decision “dangerous and reckless,” warning it would “end a 30-year moratorium on nuclear testing and do so unilaterally.”

Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada — a state deeply scarred by Cold War-era nuclear experiments — described the order as “reckless, irresponsible and dangerous.” She warned that renewed tests would expose communities to radiation and destruction, adding that “testing the nuclear warhead itself is unnecessary.”

Senator Mark Kelly also voiced concern, joining calls to block the initiative in Congress.

The United States conducted its first nuclear explosion in July 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, before carrying out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki weeks later — acts that established Washington as the only government to have used nuclear weapons in war.

As condemnation grows, the UN has urged the U.S. to uphold its commitments to global disarmament and avoid actions that could heighten international tensions. “Nuclear testing must never be allowed,” Haq reiterated, warning that the cost of renewed escalation would be shared by all nations.

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