President Donald Trump has threatened imminent military action against Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground Iranian nuclear-related site. Located south of Tehran, the facility is a primary target for the U.S. as Washington seeks to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon amid escalating hostilities in the Gulf.
The facility, known in Iran as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, has become a central point of tension in the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. During a series of interviews in July 2026, President Trump signaled that the military would be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily
, according to reporting from The Guardian.
The Strategic Depth of Pickaxe Mountain
Pickaxe Mountain is located approximately 220 kilometers south of Tehran and just 2 kilometers from the Natanz nuclear complex. Unlike the Natanz site, which was bombed during the 2025 12-day war and a broader conflict starting February 28, the Pickaxe complex has never been directly attacked. This is largely due to its extreme fortification; the site features two tunnel complexes buried deep underground, some estimates placing the core roughly 100 meters beneath the mountain ridge.
The facility’s layout is designed for survival.
Construction began in 2020 following an act of sabotage at Natanz. At the time, then-nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi stated that Iran was building a modern, larger and more comprehensive hall in all dimensions in the heart of the mountain
specifically to manufacture advanced centrifuges used for uranium enrichment.
U.S. Surveillance and the “Big, Fat Shot”
President Trump has repeatedly asserted that the U.S. maintains total visibility of the site. In an interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show, he claimed the U.S. has cameras capable of reading a name and a badge from space
across every area of Pickaxe. While he noted that the U.S. currently sees no activity there
, he maintained that the site remains a possible target for a nice, big, fat shot right in the front door
, as reported by NDTV.
This surveillance is a key component of the U.S. strategy. Trump’s rhetoric suggests the site is a bargaining chip or a target of opportunity; he stated, we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal
, according to the Nypost.
The Bunker-Buster Dilemma
Despite the President’s confidence, military experts warn that the facility’s depth makes it an exceptionally difficult target. The U.S. GBU-57 bunker buster, which can penetrate 61 meters of earth or 18 meters of concrete, may be insufficient for a total wipeout. Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow at the University of South Florida, told the BBC that obliterating every underground chamber would be extremely difficult because of the facility’s depth and uncertain layout
.
“Targeting the ventilation shafts would enable the weapons to reach deeper into the facility, and the tunnel portals can be collapsed using bunker buster weapons.”
Faragasso, via BBC
The U.S. may instead focus on “paralyzing” the site. This would involve targeting access roads, communication systems, and tunnel entrances.
Diplomatic Friction and the “Strategic Hedge”
The site has caused a public rift between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On July 28, 2026, ahead of an Oval Office meeting, Trump rebuked Netanyahu for announcing plans to present evidence about Pickaxe Mountain to the world rather than discussing it privately. Trump dismissed the site as not a big problem
, asserting he already knew exactly what was happening there.
The stakes of the site extend beyond mere centrifuge assembly. Intelligence agencies suspect Tehran is using the mountain to build a secret, undeclared uranium-enrichment facility to serve as a strategic hedge
for its nuclear program, according to Yahoo News. Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), described this as part of a quite systematic intention to put their most sensitive facilities underground
.
Operational Uncertainty and Next Steps
It remains unclear if Pickaxe Mountain is currently operational. While the ISIS think tank reports that a security wall was recently completed, satellite imagery cannot confirm if Iran has installed the large-scale centrifuge assembly plants it originally planned. However, the think tank warns that if Iran rebuilds its manufacturing capability, the site could support a nuclear weapons program.
The immediate future of the site depends on the outcome of U.S.-Iran diplomacy. For now, the U.S. continues to monitor the “front door” of Pickaxe Mountain, waiting for any sign of activity that would trigger a strike.
Worth a look
- Broad Peak Avalanche: 3 Dead as Rescue Efforts Seek Nirmal Purja and Others
- Trump Fires Final Election Assistance Commission Members Ahead of Midterms
- Trump Administration Admits Reflecting Pool Work Was Botched, Not Vandalized (archyde.com)
- The Senate Blue Slip, Explained: The Custom Trump Wants Gone (daybreakwire.com)
