Trump Threatens Iran's Pickaxe Mountain Amid Escalating Conflict
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran's heavily fortified underground site at Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La. This is not a new threat, Trump made similar remarks in mid-July, when he said the US would 'probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon.'
The latest threat comes after an Iranian oil tanker off Kharg Island was struck by four US missiles. Kharg Island is the main hub for Iran's oil exports, handling about 90 percent of its exports.
Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified underground site located next to the bombed-out Natanz enrichment complex. It has been excavated deep inside the mountain, beneath hundreds of meters of solid granite rock, to protect it from powerful bombs designed to penetrate bunkers.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful and does not intend to build a nuclear weapon. However, Western analysts have speculated that Pickaxe Mountain was intended to house an undeclared enrichment plant.