Iraq invades Kuwait and begins the Gulf War. March 24 - At the Sosnovy Bor station near St. Petersburg, Russia, radioactive iodine escaped into the atmosphere. 1994 Several attempts to smuggle nuclear material from C.I.S. are stopped. Secret nuclear testing on humans is revealed by both the U.S. and C.I.S. SDI program is scaled back. Emphasis towards a SCUD-like missile defense.
Global pressure resolves the crisis.
May 15 - China conducts an underground nuclear test. August - The U.S. announces a total ban on all U.S. nuclear weapon testing. August 17 - China conducts another underground nuclear test. September 5 - Under worldwide protest, France resumes nuclear testing on the Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific. October 1 - France conducts a second test, on Fangataufa Atoll.