US ramps nuclear weapons production to Cold War levels as China pursues ‘unprecedented’ buildup

The U.S. is producing nuclear weapons at levels not seen since the Cold War, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers Thursday, as officials warned of a rapidly expanding Chinese arsenal and growing nuclear threats from Iran.

"Today, NNSA is delivering more new nuclear weapons and plutonium pits than at any time since the Cold War," Wright said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, describing what he called a broader U.S. "nuclear renaissance."

The ramp-up comes as...