What Is Pickaxe Mountain, the Site Threatened by Trump?
Experts say the facility is still under construction and may be too deep for U.S. bunker-buster bombs.
- On Monday, July 13, President Donald Trump threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified nuclear facility near Natanz, telling Iranians to "be ready" for the attack.
- Located 220 km south of Tehran, the site features tunnel entrances estimated to be at least 100 metres deep; construction began in 2020 following sabotage at the Natanz nuclear complex.
- The Institute for Science and International Security reports the facility is not operational, though construction continues; Sam Lair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute told Reuters hardened entrances complicate "targeting with penetrating munitions like bunker busters."
- Experts assess the complex sits beyond reach of conventional bunker-buster bombs; Lair noted Iranians are bolstering defenses, reflecting a "systematic intention to put their most sensitive facilities underground."
- This threat reflects escalating regional tensions as Washington and Tehran trade fire in the Gulf, complicating diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict and strikes on Iranian infrastructure.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
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Tensions Rise as Trump Targets Pickaxe Mountain in Iran Nuclear Dispute
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain in Iran, a key site in its nuclear program. The underground facility is near Tehran and has been under construction since an alleged sabotage in 2020. Despite damage to Iran's nuclear capacity, tensions have escalated amidst U.S.-Iran confrontations.
Explainer-What is Pickaxe Mountain, the Iranian nuclear-linked site threatened by Trump?
July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to attack a site linked to Iran's nuclear programme known as Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Tehran's main nuclear sites. "We're going to take out...
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