The delicate balance of nuclear deterrence relies on clarity. But what happens when a major power embraces ambiguity on a core issue like weapons testing?
New analysis from IST Senior Policy Advisor Sahil V. Shah in Foreign Policy articulates why President Donald Trump’s recent social media post—in which he said he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis”—needs immediate clarification.
“History shows that ambiguity about nuclear intent is destabilizing,” Sahil explains. “A phrase such as ‘resume nuclear testing’ can be interpreted in different ways: a political flourish to show resolve; an order to increase testing of nuclear-capable delivery systems; an instruction to expand simulations and subcritical experiments; or, worst of all, authorization of explosive nuclear warhead detonations.”
