"I think the tests we're talking about right now are system tests," the minister said in an interview with Fox News .
These are not nuclear explosions.
Instead, it's about "what we call non-critical explosions" and testing "all other parts" of the weapons.
The United States regularly tests its nuclear-capable missiles, but has not tested any nuclear weapons since 1992. The world's other nuclear powers have also refrained from explosive nuclear weapons tests, with the exception of North Korea.
Trump wrote on social media on Thursday that due to "other countries' testing programs" he had ordered the Pentagon "to begin testing our nuclear weapons on equal terms."
The president has since only responded vaguely to follow-up questions from journalists. The announcement has also been criticized by, among others, the UN Secretary-General and met with raised eyebrows from China and Russia.
