Key facts
- President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb an under-construction Iranian nuclear site called "Pickaxe Mountain."
- The site is located near the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility and is reportedly buried deep underground.
- Experts suggest the facility could be constructed at depths between 80 to 100 meters, potentially deeper.
- The U.S. possesses GBU-57 bombs capable of penetrating significant depths, but their effectiveness against this site is uncertain.
- Iran has continued construction on the site, which is protected by anti-aircraft batteries and the Revolutionary Guard.
- The UN's nuclear watchdog has never gained access to the Pickaxe Mountain site.
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued threats to bomb an under-construction Iranian nuclear site, known as "Pickaxe Mountain" (Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La), located deep underground near the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. This threat comes amid ongoing tensions and exchanges between the U.S. and Iran, particularly concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pickaxe Mountain site is being constructed next to the Natanz facility, approximately 225 kilometers south of Tehran. Following sabotage attacks on Natanz, including one that destroyed a centrifuge manufacturing site, Iranian officials initiated work on Pickaxe Mountain. The facility sprawls across 2.7 square kilometers and is protected by anti-aircraft batteries and fencing, with multiple entrances visible from satellite imagery.
Experts suggest that Iran is building the facility at a significant depth, potentially between 80 to 100 meters (260 to 328 feet), and digging has continued, possibly making it even deeper. This depth poses a challenge to even the most powerful U.S. bombs, such as the GBU-57, which can penetrate at least 60 meters (200 feet) before detonating. It remains unclear what materials are housed at Pickaxe Mountain, as the UN's nuclear watchdog has never gained access.
Trump acknowledged the possibility that Iran may have moved centrifuges to the site, stating, "We’ll be hitting that area ... probably pretty soon. And there’s not a thing they can do about it." He also mentioned Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which had reached nearly weapons-grade levels of 60% before the 2025 strikes. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and it is not believed by the IAEA or the West to have had an active military nuclear program since 2003. However, Iranian officials have increasingly threatened to pursue an atomic bomb.
During the recent conflict, Iran claimed that areas around its only nuclear power plant at Bushehr and a planned nuclear plant site were attacked, though no damage was reported to the reactor. The U.S. also reportedly attacked the site where Iran plans to build the Darkhovin nuclear plant. In response, Iran warned it would take unspecified "required actions."