'Pretty Soon': Trump Reiterates Threat To Strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain. Why The Nuclear Site Matters
'Pretty Soon': Trump Reiterates Threat To Strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain. Why The Nuclear Site Matters Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 23:09 IST Known
'Pretty Soon': Trump Reiterates Threat To Strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain. Why The Nuclear Site Matters Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 23:09 IST Known in Persian as Kuh-e Kolang, Pickaxe Mountain is an underground complex located near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility (Photo: X) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated that the United States intends to strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, saying the attack could happen “pretty soon very heavily" as Washington continues its military campaign against Tehran. Speaking about the underground nuclear site, Trump said, “There’s nothing they can do about it," signalling that the facility remains a key target for the US. His latest remarks come after he first publicly identified Pickaxe Mountain as a possible target on July 14, when he suggested the site could soon be struck. Trump renews warning Trump’s latest warning marks another escalation in his rhetoric against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Earlier this month, while speaking to the Salem News Channel, he said Pickaxe Mountain could be the next target in Washington’s military campaign. “Pickaxe is a possible, you know, target for a nice big, fat shot right in the front door," Trump had said. “We’ll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon." The remarks come as the United States continues military operations against Iran, with the underground complex increasingly emerging as one of Tehran’s most closely watched nuclear facilities.
Israel believes uranium stockpile was moved According to CNN, Israel believes Iran shifted centrifuges and part of its highly enriched uranium stockpile to an underground facility following the 12-Day War last June. The site, known as Pickaxe Mountain, was closely monitored but was left untouched because of its extreme depth and central location. Iran is believed to possess around 440 kilograms of near bomb-grade uranium, enough to produce between nine and 12 nuclear weapons. Removing that stockpile remains a major objective for both Israel and the United States. What we know about Pickaxe Mountain? Known in Persian as Kuh-e Kolang, Pickaxe Mountain is an underground complex located near Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. Unlike many of Iran’s older nuclear sites, the facility has been built deep inside a mountain, making it far more difficult to detect and potentially much harder to destroy. Satellite imagery analysed by the Institute for Science and International Security suggests construction began around 2020. Iran has described the facility as a centrifuge assembly plant, but international inspectors have not been given unrestricted access to verify its purpose. Images released over the past few years show extensive tunnelling and excavation, although the full extent of the underground complex remains unknown.
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