Washington, Sep 2026 : US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s heavily fortified underground Pickaxe Mountain complex could be targeted “very soon” if Washington detects suspicious activity at the facility, amid continuing tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remained a key priority for his administration. He claimed the United States was closely monitoring developments at Pickaxe Mountain and other sites across Iran.
“We’re not going to have a nuclear weapon; that’s what we did,” Trump said, referring to US efforts to prevent Iran from developing such capabilities. He added that Washington could strike Pickaxe Mountain soon if it detected activities that raised concerns.
Pickaxe Mountain is located near Iran’s heavily damaged Natanz uranium-enrichment complex, around 225 km south of Tehran. Natanz, officially known as the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan Nuclear Facilities, is regarded as one of the central sites of Iran’s nuclear programme.
The Natanz complex suffered extensive damage during the 12-day conflict in June 2025 following Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The United States subsequently carried out its own strikes using B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and bunker-buster bombs, while Israel continued operations targeting elements of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Following the attacks, Iran reportedly began developing the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility as a means of protecting sensitive components of its nuclear activities from future attacks.
The complex is believed to cover approximately 2.7 square kilometres and has been heavily secured, with anti-aircraft batteries, perimeter fencing and personnel from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deployed around the site.
Reports indicate that the facility is being constructed between 80 and 100 metres below ground, making it considerably more difficult to target than conventional nuclear installations. Experts have suggested that the underground complex could potentially be used for uranium enrichment and the manufacture of centrifuges.
Trump’s latest warning comes amid continued uncertainty surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities and the wider security situation in the Middle East. Any US military action against the facility could further escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran and potentially widen regional instability.
The comments also underline the continued importance Washington attaches to monitoring Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. While Trump said the United States would respond if it detected concerning activity at Pickaxe Mountain, he did not provide details on what specific developments would trigger military action or indicate whether any immediate strike had been authorised.
The warning adds another layer of uncertainty to an already tense US-Iran relationship, with the underground facility emerging as a potential flashpoint in the ongoing confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
