“The Testing Spiral”: Why the World Cannot Afford a New Round of Nuclear Tests

April 29, 2026 Peace and security

“We cannot allow this spiral to start, as it may never be possible to stop it,” he said. Floyd spoke at a press conference at the UN headquarters within the framework11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

“The Review Conference of the NPT, which is taking place here this week and over the following four weeks, is an important stage in analyzing the foundations of the architecture of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament,” he noted.

Any tests will be recorded by the international system

He explained that the SDCVA “is engaged in the execution of the contract, which is part of this architecture.”

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), whose 30th anniversary is being observed at the Review Conference of the CTBT, is a global agreement prohibiting any nuclear weapon test explosions everywhere: in the atmosphere, underwater, and underground.

“The NPT prohibits nuclear explosions of any scale – from the very insignificant to the very large. This is the most important condition for stopping the spread of nuclear weapons in the world – from state to state, as well as limiting the further improvement of nuclear weapons,” Floyd said.

Floyd noted that DVA law has not yet come into force and, therefore, is not legally binding.

“But our international monitoring system will record a nuclear device explosion with a power of 500 tons in TNT equivalent and above at any point on the planet – on the surface, underwater, or underground. And this is the most important advantage for all humanity, because any state planning to develop nuclear weapons will have to conduct a test, and if it decides to do so, everyone will learn about it,” Floyd explained.

Countries may resume testing

He emphasized that the issue of a testing ban is now much more urgent, since “states threaten to resume tests, and there is a likelihood that if one state conducts a test, others will follow.”

As of today, 187 states have signed the treaty, 178 have ratified it. However, it has not yet officially entered into force because nine key countries possessing nuclear technologies — China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and the USA — have not completed the ratification process. Moreover, India, North Korea, and Pakistan have not even signed the document.

“We need to find a way for the United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China to jointly consider the issue of the treaty and its ratification. I believe it is unlikely that any one of them will take this step without simultaneous actions from the other parties,” Floyd said.

“Undoubtedly, this is exactly what I call on all these states for, and such a step would be a powerful leap forward,” he added.

Since 1996, only 10 nuclear tests have been conducted worldwide compared to more than 2,000 in the previous five decades. In the current century, only the DPRK has conducted nuclear tests.

The main task of the Organization of the Treaty (CTBTO) is to create a system capable of recording any nuclear explosions on the planet. It is called the International Monitoring System (IMS) and represents a global network of 337 facilities using seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound, and radionuclide technologies to detect signs of nuclear tests.

In addition to the 321 monitoring stations, there are 16 radionuclide laboratories that help identify radioactive substances.

About 90 percent of the system is already operational; it has successfully recorded all the nuclear tests declared by North Korea. After the treaty comes into effect, on-site inspections will become possible.

Head of the IAEA – about the difficulties of controlling nuclear programs

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, stated that holding the IAEA Board of Governors meeting “practically immediately” after the start of the war, “based on the assumption of the possibility of one of the countries developing nuclear weapons,” constitutes a complex task, since “in war there are opposing sides, and obviously, their positions do not coincide.”

Answering journalists’ questions, Grossi reported that Iran announced the creation of a new uranium enrichment facility shortly before the US and Israel strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025. IAEA inspectors gained access to the site, but the visit was supposed to take place on the day of the start of the attack – June 13 – and ultimately did not occur.

“At the moment, we cannot say whether this place was simply an empty room or if cascades and centrifuges for commissioning were already installed there,” he noted.

Grossi also emphasized that the previous level of consensus on the Iranian nuclear program among UN Security Council members has been lost. Whereas earlier Iran resolutions were adopted without a vote, and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action united key players, now “there is no longer this common denominator.”

Speaking about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the head of the IAEA emphasized that the priority remains preventing an accident. According to him, the agency has already secured five ceasefire agreements in the area of the plant and is currently negotiating a sixth one, which is necessary for carrying out critically important repair work on the external power supply line.