Trump threatens strike on Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ nuclear facility

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to target Iran’s heavily fortified “Pickaxe Mountain” nuclear facility, warning Tehran that Washington would continue military strikes as tensions between the two countries intensify.

Speaking during an interview with the Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump said the United States was closely monitoring the underground facility near Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site and suggested that a strike could be imminent.

“We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” Trump said, claiming Iran was facing mounting setbacks in its nuclear programme.

The US president said Washington was keeping the facility under close surveillance and alleged that Tehran had been reluctant to discuss its nuclear activities following previous American strikes.

“Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don’t like talking about it,” he added.

Located near the Natanz nuclear complex, Pickaxe Mountain is regarded as one of Iran’s most heavily fortified facilities, featuring deep underground tunnel networks that experts believe are capable of withstanding some of the most powerful bunker-buster bombs in the US arsenal.

Trump also announced renewed pressure on Iran’s maritime operations, saying the United States was reinstating a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf while ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remained open for international navigation.

He further warned that Washington would intensify military operations against Iran following recent exchanges of missiles and drones between the two countries.

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“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow. And there’s not a damn thing they can do about it,” Trump said.

The latest remarks signal a further escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns that any strike on Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure could trigger a wider regional conflict.