Trump's Threat: Targeting Iran's Secret Pickaxe Mountain Facility

WHO:

CNBC - President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb the Iranian underground nuclear facility Pickaxe Mountain.

CNN - Iranian military command Khatam Al-Anbiya warned that any U.S. attack would be treated as an expansion of the war in the region.

CNN - Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, stated that U.S. attacks on its nuclear facilities violate international law.

WHAT:

CNBC - Trump stated, "We'll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon, and there's not a thing they can do about it."

CNN - Trump claimed that the U.S. will attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, which is suspected to house part of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and advanced enrichment centrifuges.

CNBC - U.S. Central Command has bombed Iranian targets for 11 consecutive nights, including military operations centers and drone storage facilities.

CNN - Construction on Pickaxe Mountain began in 2020, and it is believed to not yet be operational.

WHERE:

CNBC - Pickaxe Mountain is located south of Iran's Natanz enrichment plant.

CNN - The facility is situated about a mile south of the Natanz uranium-enrichment facility.

WHEN:

CNBC - An interim memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17, which halted military operations and established a 60-day window for negotiations.

CNN - The U.S. and Israel targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, including Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.

WHY:

CNBC - Trump aims to prevent Iran from having a deeply buried nuclear-related site as the regime appears to be rebuilding its nuclear weapons capabilities.

CNN - Analysts suggest that Iran may be building centrifuges or creating a secret facility to enrich uranium.

HOW:

CNBC - Satellite imagery analysis indicates that construction at Pickaxe Mountain has accelerated, with security walls and tunnels being built around the site.

CNN - The facility is buried at least 100 meters (328 feet) under the mountain and has been fortified with concrete to protect against airstrikes.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 16:24 UTC)

President Trump has threatened to bomb Iran's underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain, claiming, "We'll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon, and there's not a thing they can do about it." In response, Iran's military command has warned that any U.S. attack would be seen as an expansion of the war in the region, while the Iranian foreign ministry stated that such actions violate international law. The facility, located about a mile south of the Natanz enrichment plant, is believed to be under construction and not yet operational, with satellite imagery showing accelerated building activity including security walls and tunnels.