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// DOSSIER — trump-threatens-strike-iran-underground-facility
Trump Threatens Strike on Iran's Underground Pickaxe Mountain Facility Amid Nuclear Denials
REL_TIME: 23 Jul 2026 05:42Z · LANG: EN
On July 21, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced imminent plans to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La), a heavily fortified underground site located near the Natanz nuclear complex. Iran's Foreign Ministry has vehemently denied any nuclear activity at the location, characterizing the U.S. threats as a fabricated pretext for aggression. The facility, buried over 300 feet deep, is suspected by U.S. and Israeli intelligence of housing advanced centrifuges and enriched uranium stockpiles relocated after 2025 airstrikes. Military experts suggest the facility's extreme depth may exceed the penetration capabilities of current U.S. bunker-buster munitions, though the U.S. continues an 11-night campaign of strikes against other Iranian targets.
// Background
Construction at Pickaxe Mountain began in 2020 following sabotage at the Natanz facility. The site was spared during the 12-day war in June 2025 (Operation Midnight Hammer) but has since seen accelerated construction. The current 2026 escalation involves U.S. efforts to degrade Iranian capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz following the breakdown of a recent ceasefire agreement.
// Key Developments
- President Trump vowed to hit the site 'very heavily' and 'pretty soon,' claiming Iran is powerless to stop the attack.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei maintains all nuclear activities are fully declared to the IAEA and the site is a 'peaceful' facility.
- Israeli intelligence reports suggest Iran moved thousands of centrifuges to the site following the June 2025 conflict to safeguard them from airstrikes.
- The facility is estimated to be at least 100 meters (328 feet) underground, potentially out of reach for the GBU-57 'bunker buster' which penetrates up to 200 feet.
- The threat comes despite a June 17 interim memorandum of understanding intended to halt military operations between the two nations.
// Timeline
-
Construction begins at Pickaxe Mountain following an explosion at the Natanz facility.
-
Operation Midnight Hammer; U.S. and Israel strike Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, but spare Pickaxe Mountain.
-
Israeli intelligence reports centrifuges being moved to the Pickaxe site for protection.
-
U.S. and Iran sign an interim memorandum of understanding to halt military operations for 60 days.
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President Trump tells reporters the U.S. will strike Pickaxe Mountain 'pretty soon' and 'very heavily'.
-
Iran's Foreign Ministry officially denies nuclear activity at the site and warns of a powerful response to any attack.
// Perspectives
[United States (Trump Administration)]
Views the site as a critical threat housing illicit nuclear material and intends to destroy it to prevent a covert nuclear breakout.
[Iran (Foreign Ministry)]
Asserts the site is for peaceful purposes and that U.S. threats violate international law and the UN Charter.
[International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)]
Has been denied access to the site despite Iran's 2021 notification of intent to conduct nuclear activity there.
[Military Analysts (e.g., ISIS, James Acton)]
Express skepticism regarding the effectiveness of aerial strikes against such a deeply buried target, suggesting ground sabotage might be required.
// Quotes
“We’ll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon. And there’s not a thing they can do about it.”
“Washington’s obsessive focus on Kolang Kouh where no nuclear activity is taking place is nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage.”
“A covert breakout is the worst-case scenario... the fact that we can't verify this site underscores how problematic the status quo is.”
