Is Pickaxe Mountain linked to Iran’s nuclear programme? Here's why Trump wants to attack it
US President Donald Trump warned this week that the US will be hitting the Pickaxe Mountain area "pretty soon and very heavily." Earlier, in an
US President Donald Trump warned this week that the US will be hitting the Pickaxe Mountain area "pretty soon and very heavily." Earlier, in an interview on the Hugh Hewitt show, Trump said, “We have eyes on it and Pickaxe mountain is a possible target for a nice big fat shot right in the front door...We’re watching Pickaxe Mountain very closely. We don’t see any activity there.” Where is Pickaxe Mountain located? Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified site which the US and Israel believe is linked to Iran's nuclear program. It is located near Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility. The Natanz site, where two of Iran’s uranium enrichment plants are located, has been bombed before; during the war started by the US and Israel on 28 February, and during the 12-day war of 2025. Also Read | US Iran war news LIVE: Iran army says it targeted US military site in Kuwait What has Iran built at Pickaxe Mountain? The think tank said it features two pairs of entrances and that a security wall around the facility was recently completed. These entrances are assumed to lead to one facility, but this is not guaranteed.
Little is known about the complex near the Natanz nuclear facility, but it is estimated to be buried almost 100 metres inside a mountain. "The facility is estimated to be at least 100 meters deep under the mountain. The mountain has a height of 1608 meters above sea level.," it added. The difference in elevation between the two sets of entrances of about 50 meters could also indicate that the facility has multiple levels. Here's all you need to know about why Pickaxe Mountain is important: There's no official confirmation that the Pickaxe Mountain area harbours one of the nuclear facilities or complexes in Iran, or what kind of facility it harbours. But satellite imagery suggests otherwise. Trump also said that Iran "may have" stored centrifuges used to enrich uranium there, but that the US doesn't "have it on record." He was responding to a question about reports claiming that Israel provided the US with intelligence suggesting Iran has moved centrifuges to the site. Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified site that hosts two deeply buried tunnel complexes that experts assess as beyond the reach of the most powerful bunker buster bombs in the US arsenal.
The site is linked to Iran's nuclear program, Reuters reported. The tunnel facility under construction has not been previously targeted in either June 2025 or 2026 war, aside from the destruction of a vehicle on a nearby spoil pile. Is 'facility' at Pickaxe Mountain operational? An assessment of satellite imagery (till July 14, 2026)) by the Institute of Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based thinktank focused on nuclear non-proliferation, showed that the facility is not yet operational, but construction continues. Also Read | Why Israel is sitting out the latest US bombing campaign in Iran The institute says this nuclear-related site is south of the Natanz enrichment plant, part of a large perimeter secured site that includes another, smaller tunnel complex, initially built in 2007, which was expanded and hardened in recent years and sealed shortly after the June 2025 war. As per the report, the large mountain with the main tunnel complex is called Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, where Kolang translates to Pickaxe, resulting in today’s nickname of the site. What is Pickaxe Mountain facility used for? The ISIS think tank, which has analysed satellite imagery of the site, said construction of the Pickaxe mountain "facility" began in the fall of 2020.
The BriefWire