Key facts
- President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran's "Pickaxe Mountain" nuclear-linked site.
- Pickaxe Mountain is a fortified underground facility located 220 km south of Tehran and 2 km from the Natanz nuclear complex.
- Construction began in 2020 after alleged sabotage at the Natanz facility.
- The site is intended for building advanced centrifuges and is designed to be deeply buried for protection.
- Experts believe the facility is not yet operational but is still under construction.
- The site's deep burial and reinforced entrances make it difficult to target with conventional munitions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to attack a fortified underground site in Iran known as "Pickaxe Mountain," which is linked to the country's nuclear program. The threat comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the Gulf.
Pickaxe Mountain is located approximately 220 km (140 miles) south of Tehran and 2 km (1.2 miles) from the Natanz nuclear complex. Construction of the facility began in 2020, following an alleged act of sabotage at the Natanz facility that Iran claimed significantly damaged its advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges. Iran's former nuclear chief stated at the time that a more modern and comprehensive hall was being built within the mountain near Natanz for making advanced centrifuges.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief has noted Iran's intention to conduct sensitive nuclear activities at Pickaxe Mountain, placing them underground for security. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) indicates the facility features two pairs of tunnel entrances leading to a complex estimated to be at least 100 meters underground. Physical defenses include a large security perimeter and hardened tunnel entrances.
According to ISIS, the facility is not yet operational, though construction continues. It remains unclear when it might become operational or if Iran plans to install a large-scale assembly facility, especially given the destruction of its centrifuge program. However, ISIS suggests that if Iran rebuilds its centrifuge manufacturing capability, it could establish a smaller assembly facility at Pickaxe Mountain for a nuclear weapons program.
Experts assess that the deeply buried complex is beyond the reach of the most powerful U.S. bunker buster bombs. ISIS suggests the site would be more suitable for ground forces to attack or sabotage, though vulnerabilities might exist for deep earth penetrating weapons via aerial attacks. Analysts infer that ongoing activities at Pickaxe Mountain are important to Iran, yet they remain concerned enough about potential attacks to bolster defenses.