What Is Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain Underground Site Trump Has Threatened To Strike Again

US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran’s “Pickaxe Mountain”, an underground facility south of Tehran that has drawn scrutiny over its suspected role in the country’s nuclear programme.

The site contains two tunnel complexes excavated deep inside a mountain and buried beneath hundreds of metres of solid granite rock. While Tehran has maintained since construction began in 2020 that the facility is solely for assembling and manufacturing advanced centrifuges, US intelligence agencies suspect Iran may be seeking to establish a secret, undeclared uranium-enrichment facility there. Trump has said the US could strike the site “relatively soon”.

The warning comes as the confrontation between Washington and Tehran enters a new and uncertain phase, with the US carrying out another wave of attacks against Iranian military targets and Iranian media reporting explosions across several locations in southern Iran.

Why has Pickaxe Mountain drawn attention?

Pickaxe Mountain is located south of Tehran and contains two underground tunnel complexes. Construction at the site began in 2020, with the facility excavated deep inside the mountain.

Media reports, as reported by Al Jazeera, have described it as one of the most heavily fortified facilities in the Islamic Republic. The complex lies beneath hundreds of metres of solid granite rock, making it difficult to totally destroy and providing protection from powerful bombs designed to penetrate fortified bunkers.

Its depth and underground construction have made the facility a focus of attention amid questions over its role in Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran has maintained since construction began that the site is intended solely for assembling and manufacturing advanced centrifuges.

However, according to the US-based Al-Monitor website, intelligence agencies suspect that Tehran is seeking to build a secret, undeclared uranium-enrichment facility at Pickaxe Mountain. The suspected facility would serve as a “strategic hedge” for Iran’s nuclear programme.

What has Trump said about the facility?

Trump has directly identified Pickaxe Mountain as a possible US military target.

“We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” President Trump said during an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show.

Trump also said Washington was monitoring the facility closely and claimed that US officials did not see any activity there.

“We’re watching Pickaxe Mountain very closely. We don’t see any activity there. They’re not doing very well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don’t like to talk about it. But we’ll probably give Pickaxe a hit relatively soon,” Trump said.

Al Jazeera reported that the threat comes as US military operations against Iran continue.

What are the latest US attacks on Iran?

The threat against Pickaxe Mountain came as the US and Iran continued their military confrontation.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday that it had begun a new wave of attacks against Iran, marking the third consecutive night of military operations aimed at undermining the country’s military capabilities.

CENTCOM said US forces used precision-guided munitions to target Iranian coastal-defence systems, missile and drone sites, as well as naval capabilities. It said the five-hour strikes hit military targets across Iran.

Information released by both sides indicated that the third round of bombing so far had focused on Iranian military targets, while Iranian media reported explosions at several locations in the southern part of the country.

Tehran blamed the US for the “return of insecurity” to the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused Washington of endangering global oil supplies through its attacks.

Where were explosions reported?

Al Jazeera reported explosions across several southern locations, including Kish, Qeshm and Abu Musa islands, as well as Bandar Abbas and Jam, citing reports from Iranian media.

Fars news agency, citing local sources, reported that explosions were heard in those areas, while Mehr reported explosions on Qeshm and Kish islands.

Iran’s official news agency said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, while state television reported hearing two on Kish Island.

Authorities did not provide details about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

Mehr also quoted an official in Iran’s Khuzestan province as saying that four people were injured in US attacks targeting areas in the southwestern city of Omidiyeh.

Iranian television separately reported two explosions on Kish Island but did not provide details about the nature of the targeted sites or the scale of the damage.

Iranian website Nour News reported that three boats caught fire in the port of Kish Island following attacks on the island on Monday night.

Is diplomacy still possible?

Despite the continuing military escalation, Trump has kept open the possibility of an agreement with Tehran.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, the US president said an agreement with Tehran to end the war was “certainly possible”.

The remarks came as Washington pressed ahead with new strikes and reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

The threat comes as US military operations against Iran continue, even as Trump has indicated that an agreement with Tehran remains possible.