US President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued threats to bomb an under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain as the two nations exchange blows over the Strait of Hormuz.
Pickaxe Mountain Facility
The site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or ‘Pickaxe Mountain,’ lies on the south side of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site. It remains unclear what has been placed at Pickaxe Mountain, as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has never gained access to the site.
Trump acknowledged the possibility Iran may have moved centrifuges there, potentially at a depth that would challenge even the most-powerful bombs in America’s arsenal. ‘We’ll be hitting that area … probably pretty soon. And there’s not a thing they can do about it,’ Trump said.
Iran’s Nuclear Program
Iran’s nuclear program has been a worry for the West for decades. In 2025, the US bombed Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. All three had conducted uranium enrichment.
To build a usable nuclear weapon, Iran would first need to enrich uranium up to 90% purity. It would then need to build an actual bomb, and then likely also need to miniaturize it and mount it on a ballistic missile. That process would take months or years, and would face the risk of discovery by Israeli or US intelligence in the meantime.
Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.
