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US President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran's fortified nuclear site known as "Pickaxe Mountain," raising the stakes in a conflict that has already lasted far longer than he predicted. The threat, made during an interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show, comes as the US and Iran remain locked in a war that Trump previously said would be over in weeks.
"We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready," Trump said, according to Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post. He also described the site as "a possible target for a nice big fat shot right near the front door."
Coverage comparison
Al Jazeera reported the threat in the context of escalating attacks between the US and Iran, describing the situation as heading toward an "unprecedented and unpredictable stage." The outlet also highlighted the site's strategic significance, noting that it is considered one of the most heavily fortified facilities in Iran.
The South China Morning Post framed the threat as a shift in Trump's stance, noting that he and the White House had previously declared Iran's nuclear programme destroyed. The report underscored that the US and Iran are now five months into a war that Trump said would be over in weeks, with Iran gaining leverage by seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Key claims
The 'Pickaxe Mountain' facility
According to Al Jazeera, Pickaxe Mountain is located south of Tehran and contains two tunnel complexes buried deep underground. US intelligence reports indicate that the facility has been excavated deep inside the mountain, beneath hundreds of metres of solid granite rock, to protect it from powerful bunker-busting bombs.
Tehran maintains that the facility is intended solely for assembling and manufacturing advanced centrifuges, a claim the Iranian government has made since construction began in 2020. However, US-based Al-Monitor website has reported that intelligence agencies suspect Tehran may be seeking to build a secret, undeclared uranium-enrichment facility as a "strategic hedge" for its nuclear programme.
Escalating conflict
The US Central Command announced a new wave of attacks on Iran, targeting coastal-defence systems, missile and drone sites, and naval capabilities, according to Al Jazeera. This comes amid an ongoing exchange of attacks between the two countries, including around the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's shifting stance
The South China Morning Post reported that after US strikes on Iran's largest nuclear facilities last year, Trump and the White House were adamant that Iran's nuclear programme had been destroyed. Trump wrote on social media: "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!" The White House echoed this in a press release: "Iran's Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated – and Suggestions Otherwise are Fake News."
Now, however, Trump is leaning back into the notion that Iran presents an unacceptable nuclear threat and that strikes are needed, the South China Morning Post reported. The outlet also noted that Trump faces mounting criticism that he has pushed the US into another "forever war" despite campaigning on doing the opposite.
The war's toll has been felt globally, with fuel prices spiking after Iran's seizure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy corridor. A ceasefire agreement that had offered some respite collapsed this week, leading to renewed price increases, according to the South China Morning Post.