Trump Threatens Attack on Iran's Pickaxe Mountain Nuclear Site
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, warning that US forces could target the facility "pretty soon," as reported by ABC Australia and The Hindu. The site, a deeply buried nuclear facility near Natanz, is suspected of housing an undeclared enrichment facility, according to both outlets.
Trump's remarks came amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with the US having launched a new round of attacks against Iran on Monday, as reported by ABC Australia. The president stated that he would "not finished" attacking Iran and projected that it would take Iran 20-25 years to rebuild from damage suffered in the conflict.
Pickaxe Mountain: A Strategic Target
Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang, is located about 225 kilometers south of Tehran, near the Natanz nuclear facility. The Hindu reports that the site is protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing, and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The facility, which spans 2.7 square kilometers, has multiple entrances and has been under construction in response to earlier attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
The Jerusalem Post, citing top US and Israeli defense sources, reports that neither country has struck the site to date because there is no current threat from it. The Institute for Science and International Security, a hawkish think tank, has stated that the facility is not yet operational, according to the Jerusalem Post and The Hindu. This assessment contradicts reports that Iran has moved centrifuges and enriched uranium to the site, a claim the Jerusalem Post notes was disputed by its sources.
Trump's threat comes after the US and Israel previously destroyed Iran's Fordow nuclear facility during Operation Midnight Hammer, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The operation demonstrated the challenges of destroying deeply buried nuclear sites, with The Hindu noting that Pickaxe Mountain remained unscathed during that conflict.
The site, located about 225 kilometers south of Tehran, is protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing, and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, according to The Hindu. It was developed in response to earlier sabotage attacks on Iran's nuclear program, including one that destroyed a centrifuge facility, as reported by The Hindu.
Coverage Comparison
ABC Australia and The Hindu both reported Trump's threat to attack Pickaxe Mountain, quoting him saying, "We'll be hitting that area pretty soon, and there's not a thing they can do about it." The Jerusalem Post, however, provided additional context, reporting that Trump also said, "We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready," while noting "there is no activity there."
The Jerusalem Post's report highlighted a key disagreement among sources: while some US and Israeli defense sources reportedly told the Post that the facility poses no current threat, other reports, including from the Wall Street Journal and CNN, suggested Iran had moved centrifuges and enriched uranium to the site. The Post noted that its own sources, as of late June, indicated Pickaxe Mountain was not a major priority for Israeli defense, contradicting these reports.
ABC Australia reported that the facility remains under consideration for attack despite its depth, with Trump expressing confidence that any damage would take Iran 20-25 years to rebuild. The Jerusalem Post noted that the US and Israel have not struck the site to date, citing concerns about its depth and the assessment that the facility is not yet operational, as stated by the Institute for Science and International Security.
Key Claims
According to ABC Australia, Trump warned that US forces could target the site "pretty soon, and very heavily," and projected that it would take Iran 20-25 years to rebuild from damage sustained in the Middle East war. The same report noted that at least three US soldiers had been killed, bringing the total to 17, with nearly 100 wounded since the war resumed on July 7.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the facility is not operational, citing the Institute for Science and International Security, and that both the US and Israel have refrained from striking it due to the absence of a current threat likely they would not announce targets. Trump's comments came after Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain reported intercepting Iranian attacks, as covered by ABC Australia.
The Hindu added that Pickaxe Mountain is protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing, and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The site, located about 225 kilometers south of Tehran, was built in response to repeated sabotage attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, including a notable attack that destroyed a centrifuge facility.