Overview
- President Trump said on Monday that the United States would “take out Pickaxe Mountain,” publicly naming the secretive underground complex as a likely target.
- U.S. Central Command said it launched a third consecutive night of strikes in Iran shortly after the president’s remarks and said operations were being carried out at the commander‑in‑chief’s direction.
- Pickaxe Mountain lies about 1–2 km south of Natanz in the Zagros range and is thought by Western analysts to contain two deeply buried tunnel complexes that Iran described as a centrifuge assembly site.
- Independent imagery analysts at the Institute for Science and International Security reported late‑June vehicle activity and entrance hardening, while experts warn key underground halls may lie deeper than the penetration ability of the largest U.S. bunker‑buster bombs.
- Iranian officials have threatened a “devastating response” if the site is attacked, and the dispute adds to ongoing U.S.-Iran strikes and maritime moves that could further disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.