US President Donald Trump has escalated rhetorical and military pressure against Tehran, warning that the United States could strike "Pickaxe Mountain"—an underground complex buried deep beneath solid granite near Natanz. Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump stated that American intelligence and Space Force tracking are closely monitoring movement at the site, cautioning that Washington could target the location "very soon" if suspicious nuclear activities resume.
Known locally as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz La, Pickaxe Mountain sits approximately 1.5 kilometers south of the main Natanz nuclear plant in Isfahan province. Iran began excavating the site in late 2020 following a series of sabotage explosions at its above-ground centrifuge manufacturing units. Designed specifically as a hardened fortress, the facility features two major tunnel complexes excavated between 80 and 100 meters (260 to 328 feet) beneath a solid granite mountain ridge.
While Iranian officials maintain that the subterranean complex is intended solely for assembling advanced centrifuges for peaceful technical purposes, Western and Israeli intelligence agencies suspect the site could be used to house enriched uranium or conduct secret enrichment beyond international oversight. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has never been granted access to inspect the facility.
Pickaxe Mountain remains the last significant nuclear-linked installation in Iran that has avoided direct military strikes during recent conflicts. Military analysts note that its extreme depth presents unique challenges for conventional weaponry. Even heavy bunker-buster munitions like the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator may struggle to completely penetrate hundreds of feet of granite. However, aerial strikes could target access portals, power supply lines, and ventilation shafts to entomb or disable the facility without collapsing the deepest underground chambers.
Tehran has denounced the US warnings as manufactured pretexts for aggression, warning that any direct strike on its fortified installations would provoke severe regional retaliation. As confrontation between Washington and Tehran continues to unfold across the Middle East, Pickaxe Mountain stands as a central flashpoint in international non-proliferation and global security.