U.S. discussed conducting its first nuclear test in decades, Washington

[May 23, 2020]    (Reuters) - The Trump administration discussed last week whether to conduct its first nuclear test explosion since 1992, the Washington Post reported late on Friday, citing a senior official and two former officials familiar with the matter.

President Donald Trump makes a statement to reporters about reopening U.S. places of worship by declaring them "essential" in the midst of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

The topic surfaced at a meeting of senior officials representing the top national security agencies after accusations from the administration that Russia and China are conducting low-yield nuclear tests, the Washington Post said https://wapo.st/2Xljjro.

The meeting, however, did not conclude with any agreement to conduct a nuclear test. A decision was ultimately made to take other measures in response to threats posed by Russia and China and avoid a resumption of testing, the report added.

U.S. officials could not be reached immediately for a comment.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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