US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site could become the next focus of US military action as Washington increases pressure on Tehran in the aftermath of recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Speaking during an interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump repeatedly identified Pickaxe Mountain as a possible military target and said the United States was maintaining constant surveillance of the site.
"We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready," Trump said.
His comments follow US strikes in June on Iran's Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities, which Washington said were linked to a weapons programme. Tehran has rejected that allegation, maintaining that its nuclear programme is intended solely for civilian purposes. According to an NBC News report citing current and former US officials, one of the three facilities targeted in June was largely destroyed, while the remaining two sustained comparatively less damage. The report also said the attack on the Fordow facility may have delayed Iran's uranium enrichment programme by as much as two years.
During the interview, Trump said US authorities were carefully tracking developments at Pickaxe Mountain and suggested additional military action remained under consideration.
"We're watching (Pickaxe Mountain) closely. We see no activity there. They're not doing well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don't like talking about it. But we'll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon," Trump said.
He also asserted that the United States had the capability to observe activity across the entire facility in real time.
"We're looking at Pickaxe because somebody said there's a little activity. We have cameras, they can read your name and a badge from space and every area of Pickaxe. If they make any move, we immediately go and do whatever we have to do."
Asked whether International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors should be granted access to Iran's remaining nuclear infrastructure, including the site, Trump again stressed that Washington was already closely monitoring the facility.
"Absolutely. They don't have it because we have eyes... We have a lot of eyes on it but Pickaxe is a possible target for a nice, big, fat shot right in the front door," the US President said.
Pickaxe Mountain is situated near Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility and is widely regarded as one of the country's most heavily fortified nuclear-related locations.
The installation contains two deeply buried tunnel complexes that experts believe are beyond the reach of even the most powerful bunker-buster bombs available in the US arsenal.
Located south of the Natanz enrichment plant, the site forms part of a larger secured zone that also includes another smaller tunnel complex. According to the Institute For Science And International Security, that facility was originally constructed in 2007, later expanded and reinforced, and sealed soon after the June 2025 war.
Pickaxe Mountain features two pairs of tunnel entrances extending beneath the mountain ridge. Although specialists believe both sets of entrances likely lead to a single underground complex, that assessment has not been confirmed.
Experts estimate the underground facility lies at least 100 metres beneath the mountain, which rises to 1,608 metres above sea level. The eastern entrance is positioned around 145 metres below the ridge, while the western entrance sits approximately 100 metres beneath it.
According to the Institute For Science And International Security, the roughly 50-metre elevation difference between the two entrance points has fuelled speculation that the underground complex could contain multiple levels.
Despite the heightened attention surrounding Pickaxe Mountain, available satellite imagery has not established when the facility could become fully operational.
It also remains uncertain whether Iran intends to proceed with plans for a large-scale centrifuge assembly facility at the site following the extensive damage inflicted on its centrifuge programme and manufacturing infrastructure.
Even so, experts believe that if Iran succeeds in rebuilding its centrifuge production network, Pickaxe Mountain could be used to host a smaller centrifuge assembly facility capable of supporting a nuclear weapons programme.
Analysts also assess that the underground space is extensive enough to accommodate a uranium enrichment plant capable of producing weapons-grade uranium.
In addition, specialists believe the complex could support certain nuclear weaponisation activities, including the production of weapons-grade uranium metal and the shaping of nuclear material into components for a nuclear weapon.
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