President Donald Trump warned Friday the United States may strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site “very soon,” asserting that U.S. surveillance allows Washington to track activity at the underground complex and prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program. Trump stated, “We may hit Pickaxe very soon,” and that the U.S. knows “everybody that’s moving at Pickaxe” and across Iran, promising a forceful response to any renewed nuclear activity. This warning follows months of similar threats regarding Pickaxe Mountain, which experts assess may be even more fortified than the Fordow facility, and comes as Israeli intelligence reportedly believes Iran transferred thousands of advanced centrifuges there last fall.
The threat coincides with reports of an Iranian oil tanker struck by four U.S. missiles off Kharg Island, a major oil export hub handling approximately 90 percent of Iran’s oil. Al Jazeera notes this occurred hours after Trump’s Pickaxe Mountain warning. While Trump downplayed the conflict with Iran as “small potatoes,” Vice President JD Vance appeared to suggest the conflict had cooled and dismissed an alleged U.S. strike on a wedding in southern Iran. However, the U.S. and Iran have exchanged attacks this week, including the strike near Iranian oil infrastructure.
Talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program remain stalled after a 60-day negotiating window expired in mid-August without a deal. Iran maintains it is not undertaking work at the Natanz nuclear site. Iran’s military headquarters has warned that bombing Pickaxe Mountain would escalate the conflict across the region, a concern as the Trump administration seeks to contain the conflict ahead of pivotal midterm elections. The focus on Pickaxe Mountain stems from its potential to serve as the foundation for a rebuilt nuclear program, prompting Trump to warn in July that rebuilding elsewhere would trigger another American attack.
Left outlets emphasize the timing of the threats alongside the attack on the oil tanker, framing it as an escalation of the six-month conflict. Right-leaning coverage focuses on Trump’s assertion of U.S. surveillance capabilities and his determination to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Not in dispute is the U.S. commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities and the ongoing monitoring of Iranian nuclear facilities.
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