Iran Calls Trump’s Nuclear Testing Order a Grave Threat to Global Security

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi issued a vehement condemnation on October 30, 2025, labeling U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise order to resume nuclear weapons testing as a "regressive and irresponsible move" that poses a grave threat to international peace and security. In a sharply worded post on X, Araghchi accused Washington of hypocrisy, portraying the U.S. as a "nuclear-armed bully" rebranding its Department of Defense as the "Department of War" while demonizing Iran's peaceful nuclear program and issuing threats of strikes on its safeguarded facilities. The remarks came hours after Trump's late-night announcement from Marine One, directing the Pentagon to initiate testing "immediately" in response to perceived advances by Russia and China, shattering a 33-year moratorium on explosive nuclear detonations.

Araghchi's statement amplified Tehran's long-standing grievances, highlighting the U.S.'s withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under Trump's first term, which had curbed Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. "The same bully has been demonizing Iran's peaceful nuclear program and threatening further strikes... in blatant violation of international law," he wrote, underscoring ongoing U.S. sanctions and military posturing that have isolated Iran economically. Iranian state media, including Press TV, echoed the sentiment, framing the U.S. decision as the "world's most dangerous proliferation risk," especially amid stalled 2025 negotiations where Araghchi had previously signaled openness to indirect talks if "maximum pressure" eased. On X, Araghchi's post garnered over 50,000 interactions within hours, with supporters hailing it as a bold stand against "imperial arrogance."

The timing of Trump's directive—issued en route to a summit with China's Xi Jinping—has drawn widespread international backlash, but Iran's response carries unique weight given the bilateral nuclear standoff. Tehran maintains its program is for civilian energy and medical isotopes, rejecting weaponization claims, while the IAEA reports Iran's uranium enrichment has reached near-weapons-grade levels since the JCPOA's collapse. Araghchi called for global unity to hold the U.S. accountable, warning that resuming tests could unravel non-proliferation efforts and embolden hardliners in Tehran to accelerate its capabilities.

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As the U.S. faces domestic scrutiny over the announcement's ambiguity—whether full detonations or simulations—Iran's diplomats are mobilizing at the UN, with Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani preparing to raise the issue in the Security Council. This escalation risks derailing fragile Oman-mediated talks, where U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Araghchi had inched toward a framework earlier this year, only for Trump's "zero enrichment" red line to stall progress. Analysts warn that Araghchi's rhetoric could signal a return to confrontation, potentially spiking oil prices and regional tensions, as Iran's allies like Russia voice similar condemnations of the U.S. move.

With the world watching Nevada's test sites and Tehran's centrifuges, Araghchi's salvo underscores a deepening divide: one nation's deterrence is another's provocation, threatening to ignite a new chapter in the nuclear shadow war.

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