🔥 Trending US Plans Strike on Iran's 'Pickaxe Mountain' Nuclear Site

Pickaxe Mountain is a clandestine Iranian nuclear facility that has recently garnered significant international attention due to its ongoing construction and the United States' expressed intent to strike it ¹²⁴.

Location and Construction

The Pickaxe Mountain facility is situated near Natanz, an area known for other Iranian nuclear sites ⁴¹⁰. Western intelligence sources indicate that the facility is buried more than 100 meters deep within a mountain ¹⁰. Satellite imagery has confirmed recent construction activities at this underground site ¹. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has been monitoring the Pickaxe Mountain site since late 2020, noting its significant depth, potential size of tunnel facilities, hardened entrances, and additional security measures such as a wall and fence around the mountain base ⁹.

Context of US-Iran Relations and Nuclear Program

The increased activity at Pickaxe Mountain comes after the US targeted other major Iranian nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – in June 2025 ². Pickaxe Mountain was not struck at that time, likely because it was not yet nearing completion ². Analysts suggest that work at this secret underground facility intensified following the US bombings of Iran's key nuclear sites last year, potentially to restart Tehran's nuclear program ⁶.

The continued construction at Pickaxe Mountain is seen as a violation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran ²⁸. This has led to renewed tensions and concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions.

US Intent to Strike Pickaxe Mountain

Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated the US's intention to strike Pickaxe Mountain. In July 2026, he affirmed that the US would strike Iran "very hard" and specifically mentioned taking out Pickaxe Mountain ³⁴⁵. He stated, "We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready" ⁴. Trump also noted that Iran was "not doing well with their nuclear situation" ³.

Andrea Stricker, an expert, has warned that the US must neutralize Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site and secure uranium stockpiles before ending combat operations ⁷. The compliance question raised by the activity at Pickaxe Mountain is expected to be a major topic in future US-Iran negotiations ⁸.