Trump Signals Possible Strike on Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ Nuclear Site as US Intensifies Military Pressure

Washington, July 2026 : US President Donald Trump has signalled that another Iranian nuclear facility could soon be targeted by American forces, identifying the site known as Pickaxe Mountain as being under close surveillance and “on the list” for possible military action. The remarks come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the United States carrying out a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian military infrastructure while maintaining that it will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Speaking during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said the US has extensive intelligence capabilities monitoring Iran’s nuclear programme and claimed there was currently no significant activity at the Pickaxe Mountain facility. However, he suggested that could change quickly if Washington believed the site posed a threat.

“They don’t have it because we have eyes, you know, with Space Force and everything else,” Trump said, referring to US surveillance capabilities. He added that Pickaxe Mountain remained “a possible target for a nice, big, fat shot right in the front door.”

The President stressed that the facility continued to be closely watched by US military planners.

“It is on the list. We’re watching it closely. We see no activity there. They’re not doing well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up, so they don’t like talking about it. But we’ll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon,” Trump remarked.

The comments marked one of the strongest indications yet that the Trump administration is prepared to expand its military campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure if it believes Tehran is attempting to revive its atomic programme.

Trump also accused Iran of backing away from an agreement that he claimed had been virtually finalised after prolonged negotiations. According to the President, Washington believed both sides had reached a comprehensive understanding before Tehran sought last-minute changes.

“We had a deal where we won everything, and they basically break the deals,” Trump said. “They make deals, and to them, deals are made to be broken. They are extremely unreliable people.”

Describing Iran’s leadership in unusually blunt terms, Trump alleged that Tehran could not be trusted with nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

“They’re stone-cold, crazy people,” he said. “If they ever had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it within one day.”

When questioned about possible military action against senior members of the Iranian leadership, Trump declined to elaborate but suggested that US intelligence agencies possessed detailed information about key Iranian figures.

“Yeah, I do, but we don’t want to talk about that,” he said.

The President also claimed that repeated American military operations had significantly weakened Iran’s conventional armed forces.

“They have no air force, they have no Navy, they have no nothing,” Trump asserted, adding that US surveillance ensured Iran’s nuclear activities remained under constant observation.

Earlier at the White House, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remained a central objective of his administration.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he declared.

Despite the intensifying military campaign, Trump maintained that diplomacy had not been abandoned altogether and expressed optimism that a negotiated settlement could still be achieved.

“Yeah, I think a deal is possible. Sure, I do,” he said.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command confirmed that American forces had launched a third consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets on Monday (US time). In a statement, the command said operations began at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time under direct orders from the Commander-in-Chief.

According to US officials quoted by CNN, the latest military operation targeted key Iranian military infrastructure, including coastal surveillance systems, missile launch capabilities, and drone facilities aimed at reducing Tehran’s offensive capacity.

Trump also warned that military pressure would continue.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow,” he told reporters at the White House.

The President’s latest remarks come against the backdrop of broader US efforts to assert control over security in the Gulf region. Earlier, Trump announced that the United States would assume responsibility for safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.

In a separate interview with Fox News, he accused Iran of violating a previous military understanding and continuing to deploy drones in the region.

“We’re taking over the Strait. They have nothing. They’ve got nothing,” Trump said, claiming that recent US strikes had destroyed much of Iran’s military equipment.

“Most of their equipment is gone. Their anti-aircraft guns—we hit them very hard last night,” he added.

Trump again insisted that Iran had initially accepted a comprehensive agreement before attempting to renegotiate its terms after an 11-hour round of discussions.

“But we had a deal. What nobody knows—we had a deal. It was a done deal. And then they broke it,” he said.

He criticised Iranian negotiators for repeatedly seeking changes after agreements had already been reached.

“I said, ‘Changes? They’ve got to make changes? We’re not going to make changes.’ Always changes. They’re professional negotiators—that’s all they are. I don’t even call them good at it,” Trump said.

The escalating rhetoric and continuing military operations have further heightened tensions across the Middle East, with international observers closely monitoring developments amid concerns that the confrontation between Washington and Tehran could expand into a wider regional conflict with significant implications for global energy supplies, maritime security, and international diplomacy.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)