President Donald Trump has issued threats regarding potential military action against Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, which has remained untouched during previous military operations against other Iranian nuclear sites. The facility, located beneath at least 100 meters of rock near the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, was designed to replace a previously destroyed plant capable of assembling advanced centrifuges. Analysts suggest that the facility could eventually support nuclear weaponization activities, although the U.S. administration has not confirmed whether centrifuges have been moved there or why the site is now considered a target.
Trump indicated that the U.S. might strike the area 'pretty soon' and 'very heavily,' following reports from Israeli intelligence that Iran may have relocated thousands of centrifuges to Pickaxe last fall. However, Trump acknowledged that the U.S. does not have this information officially recorded. The International Atomic Energy Agency has previously verified that Iran possesses significant quantities of enriched uranium, which could potentially be used for nuclear weapons.
Experts have differing opinions on the feasibility of destroying the facility through airstrikes, with some suggesting that its depth and construction may protect it from conventional weapons. The U.S. administration has not clarified whether the recent threats are based on new intelligence or a strategy to deter Iran from activating the facility. Analysts believe that while a strike could prevent access to the facility, it would not eliminate Iran's broader nuclear capabilities.