What is Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, the mystery site Trump warns he’ll attack?

As the attacks between the United States and Iran are escalating and heading towards an unprecedented and unpredictable stage, US President Donald Trump made new threats to attack and destroy Iran’s nuclear site known as “Pickaxe Mountain”.

The threat has raised a series of questions about the nature of the nuclear complex, which, according to media reports, is described as one of the most heavily fortified facilities in the Islamic Republic.

What makes it distinctive, and why is it a key target?

What is the secret behind the site?

Pickaxe Mountain is located south of Tehran and is a highly fortified site that contains two tunnel complexes buried deep underground, which makes it difficult to totally destroy.

US intelligence reports indicate that the facility has been excavated deep inside the mountain, beneath hundreds of metres of solid granite rock, to protect it from powerful bombs designed to penetrate bunkers.

According to the US-based Al-Monitor website, intelligence agencies suspect that Tehran is seeking to build a secret, undeclared uranium-enrichment facility that would serve as a “strategic hedge” for its nuclear programme.

Tehran, however, has maintained since construction at the site began in 2020 that the facility is intended solely for assembling and manufacturing advanced centrifuges.

“We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” President Trump said during an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show.

“We’re watching Pickaxe Mountain very closely. We don’t see any activity there. They’re not doing very well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don’t like to talk about it. But we’ll probably give Pickaxe a hit relatively soon,” Trump said.

US attacks on Iran

Amid the military escalation and threats, Tehran blamed the US for the “return of insecurity” to the region, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused Washington of endangering global oil supplies through its attacks.

What is the toll of the US attacks?

Information released by both sides indicates that the third round of bombing so far has focused on Iranian military targets, while Iranian media reported explosions in several southern areas of the country.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday the start of a new wave of attacks on Iran, marking the third consecutive night of military operations to undermine Iran’s military capabilities.

CENTCOM said it used precision-guided munitions to target Iranian coastal-defence systems, missile and drone sites, as well as naval capabilities. It said the five-hour strikes hit military targets across Iran.

What did the Iranian side say?

Iranian media reported explosions across several southern locations, including the islands of Kish, Qeshm and Abu Musa, as well as Bandar Abbas and Jam. Fars news agency cited local sources as saying explosions were heard in those areas, while Mehr reported explosions on Qeshm and Kish islands.

Iran’s official news agency said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, and state television reported hearing two on Kish Island. Authorities did not provide details about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

Mehr also quoted an official in Iran’s Khuzestan province as saying that four people were injured in US attacks targeting areas in the southwestern city of Omidiyeh.

Iranian television reported two explosions on Kish Island, without providing details about the nature of the targeted sites or the scale of the damage.

Iranian website Nour News confirmed that three boats caught fire in the port of Kish Island following attacks on the island on Monday night.

Where is the confrontation heading?

Despite the intensifying US military attacks, Trump kept the door open to diplomacy. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, he said an agreement with Tehran to end the war was “certainly possible”, even as Washington pressed ahead with new strikes and reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports.