US and Israel Target Iran’s Secret Nuclear Site at Pickaxe Mountain Amid Rising Tensions

A newly exposed underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain in Iran has drawn intense international scrutiny following a report by The Wall Street Journal. The revelation is seen as a deliberate move to highlight Iran's significant breach of its commitments to the United States, as Tehran reportedly transferred sensitive nuclear centrifuges to the site, activating it as a functional nuclear installation.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly asserted that Iran will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning of an imminent US strike on the Pickaxe Mountain site, stating, "We will attack Pickaxe Mountain very soon and strike them hard." He emphasized that military pressure on Iran remains ongoing and that any new nuclear sites will be targeted.

Israeli intelligence has monitored the site for some time, but it became a critical military target only after Iran moved thousands of centrifuges there. Analysts estimate that the facility could enrich uranium from 60 percent to 90 percent purity, the threshold for weapons-grade material. A key concern among intelligence agencies is whether Iran has also transferred other components necessary for assembling a nuclear weapon, which would significantly shorten the timeline for bomb production.

Pickaxe Mountain lies south of the Natanz nuclear facility and is a heavily fortified underground complex with ongoing construction, protected entrances, and active vehicle movement, according to satellite analyses by the Institute for Science and International Security. The International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have not been granted access, raising fears that the site is intended to safeguard nuclear materials and equipment from potential airstrikes.

Iran operates several major nuclear sites, including Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan, and Bushehr, some of which have reportedly been targeted in recent attacks. Due to its deep fortification, completely destroying the Pickaxe Mountain site is challenging, but operational options exist to disrupt its function. Given the recent developments and public threats from the US, Pickaxe Mountain has become a focal point in the ongoing confrontation over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.