Donald Trump’s new warning on Iran: Pickaxe Mountain, other sites could face strikes
US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain and other targets could be hit if Tehran fails to reach a deal with Washington.In a Fox News interview, US President Donald Trump said Washington was closely monitoring developments at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain facility and warned it could be targeted if a deal with Tehran was not reached.“We know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe Mountain,” Trump told Fox News, adding that if a deal with Iran was not reached, “we’ll have to take out Pickaxe” and could target bridges and other sites.
Trump’s warning over Pickaxe Mountain
During the interview, Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt asked Trump about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to discuss ongoing excavation work at Pickaxe Mountain, including construction vehicles entering and exiting tunnels and new access roads being built at the site.Trump said Netanyahu did not need to brief him as the US was already tracking developments through its own surveillance capabilities. “We know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe Mountain,” Trump said, adding that Washington could “deal with it very easily” if needed.Trump also questioned why Netanyahu had publicly discussed the matter instead of sharing it privately. He has repeatedly raised the possibility of striking the facility if Iran’s nuclear activities continue.
What is Pickaxe Mountain?
Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kolang Kouh, is a heavily fortified underground facility located about 220 km south of Tehran and around 2 km from Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex.The facility was built after a 2020 explosion damaged Iran’s above-ground centrifuge assembly centre at Natanz.Iran said the underground site was intended to replace the damaged facility and provide a more secure location for nuclear-related work.Experts say the site is buried deep underground and would be difficult to destroy through conventional strikes.
Is Iran using the site for nuclear activity?
The US-based Institute for Science and International Security has said satellite images suggest construction at Pickaxe Mountain is continuing, but there is no confirmed evidence that the facility is operational.Iran has denied carrying out any undeclared nuclear activity at the site and has accused Washington of using the facility as a pretext for military action.Tehran has maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and has said its activities have been reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).However, nuclear experts have raised concerns that the deeply protected facility could eventually be used for sensitive nuclear work, including centrifuge-related activities.Trump had previously singled out Pickaxe Mountain as a potential target, saying the US would strike the facility if Iran continued expanding its nuclear capabilities.The IAEA has also said it has not been able to fully verify Iran’s nuclear activities and centrifuge production capabilities in recent years, adding to concerns over Tehran’s future nuclear plans.