Overview
- Israeli intelligence told U.S. officials that Iran moved thousands of uranium‑enrichment centrifuges into tunnels at Pickaxe Mountain last autumn, a shift Washington and Jerusalem say could shelter nuclear equipment from strikes and inspectors.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been granted access to Pickaxe and therefore cannot independently verify whether centrifuges or enrichment work are inside the buried complex.
- President Trump publicly named Pickaxe as a possible target in a July 13 interview, and U.S. forces have intensified strikes over the past 10 days as Israeli leaders press for broader action.
- Experts estimate the tunnels lie roughly 300–450 feet under solid rock, which complicates destruction by conventional bunker‑buster bombs and makes entrances, shafts, and auxiliary infrastructure the likelier attack points.
- If true, the relocation could let Iran store or reassemble equipment and recover enriched uranium stocks, a development that raises the risk of regional escalation, market shocks to oil and shipping, and renewed pressure for urgent inspections or military options.