Al Jazeera
centerREPORTWhat is Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, the mystery site Trump warns he’ll attack?

Full BriefGenerated 27d ago
What Happened
US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran's 'Pickaxe Mountain' nuclear complex, a heavily fortified underground site south of Tehran, during an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show. He stated, 'We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready.' The complex, under construction since 2020, is reported by US intelligence to possibly house a secret uranium-enrichment facility, while Iran claims it is solely for assembling advanced centrifuges. The threat coincided with a third night of US strikes: CENTCOM announced precision-guided munitions targeted Iranian coastal-defense systems, missile and drone sites, and naval capabilities across southern Iran. Iranian media reported explosions near Kish, Qeshm, and Abu Musa islands, Bandar Abbas, and Jam, with four injuries in Omidiyeh. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the US of endangering global oil supplies.
Key Actors
- ·Donald Trump(President of the United States)Threatened to attack Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site and left open the possibility of a diplomatic deal.
- ·IRGC(Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran)Accused Washington of endangering global oil supplies through its military strikes.
- ·CENTCOM(United States Central Command)Conducted a third consecutive night of precision strikes on Iranian military targets, including coastal defenses and naval capabilities.
Why It Matters
A US strike on Pickaxe Mountain would target a deeply buried, suspected nuclear site, potentially crippling Iran's nuclear hedge and escalating the conflict into a direct assault on its most fortified assets. This risks severe disruption to Strait of Hormuz oil transit, global price spikes, and further retaliatory cycles between the US, Iran, and regional proxies, while testing the viability of any backchannel diplomacy.
Watch For
Whether Trump authorizes strikes on Pickaxe Mountain; any renewed IAEA inspections or reports on the site's purpose; Iranian retaliation via Hezbollah, Houthis, or direct missile launches; and whether Oman-mediated talks progress, as Trump simultaneously signals openness to a deal.
Generated 27d ago · Based on full articleAuto-Compiled
This page aggregates and summarizes reporting from Al Jazeera. The Conflict Pulse does not author original reporting. Read the original source for full coverage.
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