Donald Trump Warns US Could Strike Iran’s Deeply Buried ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ Nuclear Facility

US President Donald Trump signaled on Friday that American military forces could strike Iran’s heavily fortified underground nuclear facility at "Pickaxe Mountain" in the near future. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump stated that US intelligence is closely monitoring movement at the deeply buried site, located near the Natanz uranium-enrichment complex. The warning marks a potential escalation in Washington's five-month military campaign aimed at neutralizing Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

Oval Office Warnings on Pickaxe Mountain

During his address, Trump defended the ongoing military campaign against Iran, arguing that aggressive American intervention has effectively prevented Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Highlighting intelligence capabilities, the President warned that any detected activity at the subterranean installation would draw an immediate military response.

"We may hit Pickaxe very soon because if there was anything going on with Pickaxe... we know everybody that's moving everywhere all over Iran," Trump told reporters. He added that if situation deteriorates, American forces will "hit them hard." Iran War: JD Vance Warns of ‘Many Tools’ Against Tehran as Donald Trump Weighs Economic, Military Options.

Strategic Significance of Iran's Underground Site

Located near the damaged Natanz nuclear complex, Pickaxe Mountain consists of a fortified underground network featuring two deeply buried tunnel systems. Recent reports indicate Israeli intelligence believes Iranian authorities relocated thousands of advanced centrifuges to the facility to protect them from conventional air bombardment. The depth and structural reinforcement of the site make it particularly resistant to standard aerial attacks, positioning any potential US strike as a major operational escalation.

Recent Strikes and CENTCOM Operations

Trump's comments follow recent offensive operations by US Central Command (CENTCOM) targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) assets. CENTCOM reported conducting strikes on Iranian air-defense installations, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications nodes. The military command characterized these actions as responses to Iranian attempts to disrupt commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and target American service personnel. Donald Trump Weighs Ending Iran War as Pentagon Extends Troop Deployment.

Trump emphasized the effectiveness of the recent strikes, claiming US forces repeatedly neutralized Iranian air defense infrastructure. "They had very sophisticated radar—they brought in radar because we knocked it out once, and now we knocked it out twice," he noted, suggesting Iranian forces are becoming hesitant to deploy replacement systems.

Growing Regional Tensions and Retaliatory Threats

Defending the strategic footprint in West Asia, Trump asserted that US military action averted a broader regional conflict that could have threatened Israel, European allies, and American cities. However, Tehran has strongly condemned the US bombardments, labeling them violations of Iranian sovereignty and alleging damage to civilian infrastructure across multiple provinces.

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Iranian armed forces launched defensive strikes against US military bases in the region used as staging areas for the attacks, signaling heightened tensions as both sides exchange military actions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2026 07:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).