Key Points
- President Trump identified Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground facility near Natanz, as a top potential military target.
- The warning comes amid the third consecutive night of US airstrikes against Iranian forces following the resumption of active military conflict.
- Trump announced the reinstatement of a naval blockade on Iranian ports and declared the US the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait,” proposing a transit fee on regional cargo.
- Despite escalating military actions, the White House maintains that a diplomatic agreement remains possible if Tehran accepts Washington’s conditions.
In a direct escalation of rhetoric, US President Donald Trump has signaled that a heavily fortified underground Iranian nuclear facility, widely known as Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang), could soon face American military action. Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump revealed that advanced US intelligence and Space Force assets are maintaining constant surveillance on the secret site.
Trump described the deeply buried facility as a primary option on the military’s target list, stating it is positioned for a “nice big fat shot right near the front door”. While noting that no significant activity is currently visible at the location, the President warned that the US is prepared to strike the facility relatively soon to ensure Tehran cannot advance an undeclared uranium enrichment program.
Escalating Conflict and the Hormuz Blockade
The President’s warnings coincide with an intense wave of US military operations in the Persian Gulf. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed launching a third consecutive night of airstrikes against dozens of targets in Iran, aiming to degrade the Islamic Republic’s ability to disrupt commercial shipping and strike regional assets. The hostilities resumed after a previous ceasefire collapsed, prompting the White House to formally notify Congress that it has resumed active military conflict under a 60-day operational window.
In tandem with the airstrikes, Trump declared that the United States will act as the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait,” implementing a proposed 20 percent transit fee on cargo passing through the critical shipping lane. Concurrently, a total naval blockade has been reinstated on all Iranian ports, severely restricting the country’s conventional maritime capabilities. Trump asserted that Iran’s conventional military power, particularly its air force and navy, has been heavily degraded and lacks the capability to directly challenge American power. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes targeting commercial tankers and regional US interests, further exacerbating global energy market anxieties.
The Collapse of the Weekend Peace Deal
Addressing the breakdown of diplomatic channels, Trump laid the blame entirely on Iranian leadership, characterizing them as unreliable partners who “make agreements only to break them”. He claimed that Washington and Tehran were on the verge of a comprehensive agreement over the weekend, only for Iranian negotiators to abruptly back out at the final moment after receiving an outside phone call. According to Trump, a previous memorandum of understanding served merely as a test of good faith, one that Tehran ultimately failed.
A Strict ‘No-Tolerance’ Nuclear Policy
Reiterating his administration’s established red line, Trump firmly declared from the White House that Iran will never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons under his watch. Satellite imagery and intelligence reports indicate that Pickaxe Mountain, located adjacent to the main Natanz nuclear complex, features twin tunnel complexes dug 80 to 100 meters into the earth. Nuclear experts note that the extreme depth of the facility is specifically engineered to withstand standard conventional bunker-buster bombs, making it a highly contentious focal point for Western intelligence.
Despite the immense military pressure and the promise of continued strikes, Trump emphasized that the door to diplomacy has not been permanently shut. He expressed confidence that a new, verifiable agreement remains achievable if Iran chooses to honor Washington’s core terms, though he reaffirmed that the military option will remain actively on the table until a lasting settlement is reached.
