Trump targets Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site
US President Donald Trump signalled that Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear complex could be a target for American strikes, calling it a possible target for 'a nice, big, fat shot right in the front door'.
Pickaxe Mountain, formally Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is a heavily fortified site near Iran's Natanz enrichment facility, buried at least 100 metres beneath solid rock.
The site escaped the June 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer strikes and subsequent US-Israeli operations; Iran claims it assembles advanced centrifuges, but analysts suspect it could house uranium enrichment or nuclear weapons programme components.
Recent satellite imagery shows continued construction and fortification at the complex, raising concerns that Iran is pushing nuclear activities deeper underground.
The underground chambers may be beyond the reach of the US GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), making destruction difficult.
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