Trump Says US May Strike Iran’s Underground ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ Nuclear Site

US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States may launch a new attack on Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility, renewing threats against a suspected nuclear-related site as the conflict between Washington and Tehran continues.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, October 16, Trump said the US could strike the site “very soon”. He also described the ongoing confrontation as a limited military conflict and claimed that American forces had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.

The warning followed an interview with Newsmax on Thursday night, during which Trump said Washington might have to target the facility to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He insisted that the United States would not need to use nuclear weapons to achieve that objective and reiterated that he was not considering deploying American ground troops in Iran.

Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is an underground facility under construction near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex, approximately 220 kilometres south of Tehran. The site has attracted international attention because of its extensive underground tunnels and the depth at which its facilities are believed to be located.

Satellite imagery has shown continued construction at the site, which is thought to be designed to protect sensitive nuclear infrastructure from airstrikes. However, the precise nature of the activities taking place underground remains unclear. The International Atomic Energy Agency has not gained access to the facility, leaving uncertainty about what equipment or nuclear material, if any, may be located there.

The site’s underground position presents a major military challenge. Analysts have questioned whether even powerful conventional bunker-busting weapons could reliably destroy facilities buried deep beneath the mountain. Trump did not confirm whether he had authorised the use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, commonly called the “mother of all bombs”, against Iranian targets.

The latest threat comes amid a conflict that began in February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation. The fighting has also affected regional security and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas supplies.

Trump has maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a central objective of the military campaign. Tehran, however, has long insisted that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes. The question of Iran’s nuclear capabilities has remained a source of international tension for years, with disagreements over uranium enrichment, inspections and the future of diplomatic negotiations.

Earlier US strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, including Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. Pickaxe Mountain was not struck in those operations, and concerns have persisted over whether Iran could develop or relocate sensitive infrastructure to sites that are more difficult to reach.

Trump’s latest remarks do not amount to a formal announcement that an attack has been authorised. Nevertheless, the prospect of further strikes raises concerns about renewed escalation, potential Iranian retaliation and wider disruption across the Middle East.

For now, the timing and scope of any possible operation remain uncertain, while the status of the underground facility and the extent of Iran’s nuclear activities there remain key questions for international observers.