US Explored Options to Strike Iran's Deeply Buried 'Pickaxe Mountain' Facility

The United States may have been preparing new capabilities to strike a heavily fortified Iranian facility known as Pickaxe Mountain, located near the Natanz nuclear complex. CNN reported this, citing American sources and documents. According to the report, as early as February, the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency commissioned urgent work at the ALT-SHIST underground test facility at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This work involved testing weapons designed to hit hardened and deeply buried targets, with Pentagon documents referencing preparations for a classified live-fire test to assess new capabilities against rapidly evolving threats. CNN's sources indicated the program was linked to potential conflict with Iran and the challenge of striking the country's most protected underground sites. It remains unclear if the planned test ultimately took place.

White Sands has previously been used to test GBU-57/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) bunker-buster bombs, which are approximately 13.6 tons and have been employed by B-2 bombers against Iranian underground nuclear facilities. However, Pickaxe Mountain is considered a significantly more challenging target due to its deep underground location and surrounding hard rock, potentially requiring multiple strikes, attacks on tunnel entrances, or a combination of methods for its destruction. Satellite imagery has shown increased construction activity around the site, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimating record levels of construction in 2026, including reinforced entrances and internal road networks. There is currently no definitive confirmation that centrifuges or uranium enrichment activities are underway within Pickaxe Mountain.