Iran war: What is Pickaxe Mountain and why does Trump want to attack it?
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Wed, 07/22/2026 - 12:37
Tehran warns that bombing its nuclear infrastructure would further expand the US-Israeli war
This handout satellite image courtesy of Vantor shows an overview of the Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex adjacent to the Natanz Nuclear Facility near Natanz, Isfahan province, central Iran, on 30 June 2026 (Satellite image Vantor/AFP)
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US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified underground facility at the centre of renewed Israeli claims about Iran's nuclear programme.
"We'll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon. And there’s not a thing they can do about it," Trump said on Tuesday, as the US continued its attacks on Iran.
Tehran warned that any strike on its nuclear facilities would widen the regional war.
Israel says Iran transferred enriched uranium and advanced centrifuges to the mountain after US and Israeli attacks damaged other nuclear sites. It has provided no evidence, and Trump acknowledged that Washington could not confirm the assertion.
Here is what we know about the facility.
What is it Pickaxe Mountain?
Pickaxe Mountain lies about 1.6km (one mile) south of the Natanz uranium enrichment complex in central Iran, which the US and Israel bombed in June 2025.
Iran built the facility beneath Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, a mountain whose name includes the Persian word for pickaxe. Its location, at least 100 metres below the surface, would make it difficult to destroy from the air or seize in a ground operation.
Construction began in 2020 after an explosion damaged a centrifuge assembly workshop at Natanz.
Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that the new facility would manufacture centrifuges used in uranium enrichment.
Satellite imagery examined by the Institute for Science and International Security shows several tunnel systems, a wide security perimeter and entrances reinforced with concrete to withstand air attacks.
Construction continues, and no public evidence shows that the complex has become operational.
Satellite image courtesy of Vantor shows vehicles at the western entrance of the Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex adjacent to the Natanz Nuclear Facility, Isfahan province, central Iran, on 21 June 2026. (Satellite image Vantor/AFP)
Work at the site appears to have accelerated since the US and Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear infrastructure last June. Those attacks included the nearby Natanz complex.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies has identified several possible explanations for the activity. Iran may be preparing the centrifuge assembly plant it previously declared, or transferring work from facilities damaged by US and Israeli bombs.
Is there enriched uranium there?
Israel claims Iran moved part of its enriched uranium stockpile and advanced centrifuges into Pickaxe Mountain after the June 2025 attacks. It has not produced evidence to support that assertion.
The decision by Israel and the US not to strike the site during their previous 12-day war also raises questions about its importance at the time.
Two mountain ranges, two deserts, two seas: Iran’s geography is its greatest weapon
»
Israel attacked Iran's main nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow and killed several civilian nuclear scientists. The US later entered the war and bombed the same three sites with heavier weapons.
Trump declared that those attacks had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities. Subsequent US and UN assessments found that parts of the programme had survived, although the bombs caused significant damage.
Washington and Israel have since focused on Iran’s stockpile of nearly 450kg (1,000 pounds) of highly enriched uranium. They want Tehran either to surrender the material or dispose of it.
Trump appeared to undercut the Israeli account when reporters asked whether Iran had transferred advanced centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain.
"We don't have it on record," he said.
Iran denies conducting undeclared nuclear work at the site.
It says its nuclear programme serves peaceful energy purposes and that it plans to build more nuclear power stations to meet domestic demand and free additional oil for export.
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