Published July 14, 2026
US President Donald Trump has issued a new threat to attack and destroy Iran’s nuclear facility, known as Pickaxe Mountain, as attacks between the US and Iran escalate and head toward an unprecedented and unpredictable stage.
The threat raises a series of questions about the nature of the nuclear complex, which media reports say is one of the Islamic Republic’s most heavily fortified facilities.
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What makes it unique and why is it a prime target?
What is the secret behind the site?
Mount Pickaxe, located south of Tehran, is a highly fortified site containing two tunnel facilities buried deep underground, making it difficult to completely destroy.
According to a US intelligence report, the facility was excavated deep into the mountain, hundreds of meters below solid granite, to protect it from powerful bombs designed to penetrate the bunker.
According to the US-based Al-Monitor website, intelligence agencies suspect that the Iranian government is seeking to build an undeclared and secret uranium enrichment facility to serve as a “strategic hedge” for its nuclear program.
But Tehran has insisted since construction began on the site in 2020 that the facility is intended solely for the assembly and manufacturing of advanced centrifuges.
“We’re going to destroy Pickaxe Mountain. We’re going to tell the Iranians to get ready,” Trump said in an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show.
“We’re monitoring Pickaxe Mountain very closely. We don’t see any activity there. They’re not doing a good job with the nuclear issue. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don’t like to talk about it. But maybe we’ll hit Pickaxe relatively soon,” Trump said.
US attack on Iran
Amid military escalation and threats, Iran’s government has accused the US of “reintroducing security” to the region, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has accused the US of endangering global oil supplies with the attacks.
How much damage did the US attack cause?
According to information released by both sides, the third round of bombings so far focused on Iranian military targets, with Iranian media reporting explosions in several areas of the country’s south.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday announced the launch of a new offensive against Iran, marking the third consecutive night of military operations aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities.
Centcom said it used precision-guided weapons to target Iran’s coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, and naval capabilities. The five-hour airstrike hit military targets across Iran, the statement said.
What did the Iranian side say?
Iranian media reported explosions in several locations in the south, including the islands of Kish, Qeshm, Abu Musa, Bandar Abbas and Jam. Fars news agency, citing local sources, said explosions were heard in these areas, while Mehr news agency reported explosions on Qeshm and Kish islands.
Iran’s state news agency reported that three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, and state television reported that two explosions were heard on Kish Island. Authorities did not provide details on possible casualties or the extent of the damage.
Mehr also cited officials in Iran’s Khuzestan province as saying that four people were injured in a US attack that targeted the area of the southwestern city of Omidyeh.
Iranian television reported two explosions on Kish Island, but gave no details on the nature of the targeted locations or the extent of the damage.
Iranian website Nour News confirmed that three ships were set on fire in the port of Kish following the attack on the island on Monday night.
Where will the conflict lead?
Despite escalating U.S. military attacks, President Trump continued to open the door to diplomacy. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, he said a deal with Tehran to end the war is “certainly possible” even as the US presses ahead with new attacks and reimposes a blockade of Iranian ports.
