Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Sep 5: US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran’s heavily fortified underground Pickaxe Mountain complex, saying the facility could be struck “very soon” if any suspicious activity is detected there.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained the primary objective of his administration.

“We’re not going to have a nuclear weapon; that’s what we did,” Trump said, claiming that the US was closely monitoring activity at Pickaxe Mountain and other locations across Iran.

“We may hit Pickaxe very soon because if there was anything going on with Pickaxe,” he said, warning that the US would respond forcefully if it detected any concerning activity.

Pickaxe Mountain is located near Iran’s heavily damaged Natanz uranium-enrichment facility, around 225 km south of Tehran. Natanz, officially known as the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan Nuclear Facilities, is considered a key centre of Iran’s nuclear programme.

The Natanz facility was heavily damaged during the 12-day war in June 2025 after Israeli strikes. The United States later targeted the facility with B-2 Spirit bombers and bunker-buster bombs, while Israel continued carrying out operations against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Following the attacks, Iran began developing an underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain, reportedly to protect parts of its nuclear programme. The complex covers around 2.7 sq km and is protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel.

The facility is reportedly being constructed between 80 and 100 metres underground. Experts believe it could be used for uranium enrichment and the production of centrifuges.

Trump’s latest warning comes amid continued uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East and growing concerns about possible further US-Iran tensions.