The long silence surrounding nuclear weapons testing is beginning to fade as world powers reopen discussions on resuming the practice. What was once a dark chapter in the history of global security is now reappearing in international politics, raising fears of a return to the dangerous era of nuclear detonations.

The nuclear age began in July 1945, when the United States carried out the first atomic explosion in New Mexico. In the following decades, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted by major powers, including the United States, the Soviet Union, China, France, and the United Kingdom. Many of these tests took place in the atmosphere and underwater, spreading radioactive contamination that affected human health and the environment for years to come.

Global concern about the devastating consequences of nuclear testing eventually led to several international agreements. The Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 banned nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, underwater, and in space but still allowed underground testing. The most significant effort came in 1996 with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which sought to end all forms of nuclear testing. Although widely supported, the treaty has never officially come into force because key nations such as the United States, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea have not ratified it.

For nearly three decades, the world has observed an informal halt to nuclear testing, with only North Korea breaking the silence in the 21st century. This long period of restraint has been viewed as one of the most successful outcomes of post–Cold War diplomacy.

However, that stability is now under threat. Recent international reports suggest that nuclear powers are modernizing their arsenals instead of reducing them. Russia’s decision to withdraw its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 2023 sent shockwaves through the global community. Moscow stated that it would consider conducting tests again if the United States resumed them. Meanwhile, discussions within Washington about restarting nuclear tests have become more frequent, justified as necessary to verify the reliability of aging warheads and advance new technologies.

Experts warn that if even one major power conducts a nuclear test, it could set off a chain reaction across the world. Other nations might feel compelled to follow, breaking the long-standing taboo and undermining decades of disarmament progress.

Today, nine countries possess nuclear weapons. The United States and Russia hold the majority, with a combined stockpile of over 10,000 warheads. China is rapidly expanding its arsenal, now estimated at around 600 warheads, while France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea maintain smaller but significant numbers. Global stockpiles have fallen drastically from a peak of more than 70,000 warheads in the 1980s, yet the modernization of existing weapons and the development of new delivery systems suggest that the world is entering a renewed arms race.

The issue is particularly relevant to South Asia, where India and Pakistan remain locked in a tense nuclear balance. India, which follows a declared policy of no first use, continues to advance its nuclear delivery systems. Pakistan, on the other hand, maintains a strategy based on tactical nuclear deterrence. If nuclear testing resumes globally, both nations may feel pressured to strengthen or display their capabilities, increasing regional instability.

A return to nuclear testing would represent a serious setback for global peace. It would undermine international agreements, weaken trust among nations, and heighten the risk of a new arms race. As major powers trade warnings and rivalries deepen, the fear that the world might once again witness nuclear explosions is no longer a distant concern. The coming months will show whether the international community can uphold the spirit of restraint or whether the world will slip back toward a more dangerous nuclear age.