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Why is Trump threatening to strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain again, now?
Al Jazeera • • nation
Key Points:
- US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s heavily fortified underground site known as Pickaxe Mountain, located near the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, amid ongoing tensions and conflict.
- Shortly after Trump's threat, an Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iran’s oil exports, was reportedly hit by four US missiles, escalating hostilities between the two nations.
- Pickaxe Mountain is believed to be a deep underground facility potentially used for nuclear enrichment or centrifuge assembly, and it remains largely intact despite previous US and Israeli strikes on other Iranian nuclear sites.
- US and Israeli attacks in 2025 significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, but the exact status of Iran’s nuclear program remains uncertain due to limited inspection access and conflicting intelligence assessments.
- Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful and denies any work at Natanz, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has lost monitoring capability since Iran suspended cooperation following the strikes.
