What to learn about Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain underground nuclear web site – NBC Los Angeles

President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued threats to bomb an under-construction Iranian nuclear web site buried deep beneath a mountain as the 2 nations trade blows over the Strait of Hormuz.

The positioning, referred to as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or “Pickaxe Mountain,” lies on the south facet of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment web site, which was bombed by the United States throughout Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025’s 12-day battle between Iran and Israel. However Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues to dig on the web site.

It stays unclear simply what has been positioned at Pickaxe Mountain, because the United Nations‘ nuclear watchdog has by no means gained entry to the positioning. However Trump on Tuesday speaking with journalists within the Oval Workplace acknowledged the likelihood Iran could have moved centrifuges there, probably at a depth that may problem even the most-powerful bombs in America’s arsenal.

“We’ll be hitting that space … in all probability fairly quickly. And there’s not a factor they’ll do about it,” Trump stated.

Here is what to learn about Pickaxe Mountain and the standing of Iran’s nuclear program.

Pickaxe Mountain web site was constructed after earlier assaults on Iran

The brand new mission at Pickaxe Mountain is being constructed subsequent to Natanz, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) south of Tehran, Iran’s capital. Natanz, a mixture of above- and underground amenities, has been some extent of worldwide concern since its existence turned recognized 20 years in the past. Repeated sabotage assaults on Natanz, together with one probably carried out by Israel that destroyed a producing web site for centrifuges, led Iranian officers to begin work on the Pickaxe Mountain web site.

Protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the power sprawls throughout 1 sq. mile within the nation’s arid Central Plateau. It has a number of entrances seen from satellite tv for pc pictures.

In 2023, an Related Press story on Pickaxe Mountain included evaluation from specialists on the James Martin Heart for Nonproliferation Research that instructed Iran is probably going constructing a facility at a depth of between 260 and 328 ft. Digging has continued on the web site within the time since, with some specialists suggesting it may very well be even deeper underground.

Specialists say the dimensions of the development mission signifies Iran will probably be capable of use the underground facility to counterpoint uranium in addition to to construct centrifuges.

Centrifuges, tube-shaped gadgets organized in giant cascades of dozens of machines, quickly spin uranium gasoline to counterpoint it. Further cascades spinning would enable Iran to shortly enrich uranium beneath the mountain’s safety.

Such underground amenities led the U.S. to create the GBU-57 bomb, which may plow via at the least 60 meters (200 ft) of earth earlier than detonating, in line with the American navy. U.S. officers reportedly have mentioned utilizing two such bombs in succession to make sure a web site is destroyed. It’s not clear that such a one-two punch would harm a facility as deep because the one at Pickaxe Mountain.

Trump threatens to bomb Pickaxe Mountain web site

Talking alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday, Trump initially sought to downplay Pickaxe Mountain by mentioning Iran’s stockpile of extremely enriched uranium. Iran had enriched uranium as much as practically weapons-grade ranges of 60% earlier than the 2025 strikes. Within the time since, Iran isn’t recognized to have restarted enrichment and its stockpile is believed to be at nonetheless on the bombed enrichment websites.

“We comply with the fabric, that’s the place the motion is,” Trump informed journalists.

Trump, nevertheless, stated Pickaxe Mountain was a possible goal for American bombers as back-and-forth assaults between Iran and the U.S. rage on.

“Usually I wouldn’t say that,” the president added. “If I assumed they might do one thing about it, I’d by no means say that, however we’ll be hitting that space fairly quickly. And really closely.”

Iran says that areas round its solely nuclear energy plant at Bushehr have already come beneath assault through the battle, although no harm was executed to its Russian-run reactor. Tehran additionally stated the U.S. attacked the cleared space the place it plans to construct the Darkhovin nuclear plant, although the U.N.’s Worldwide Atomic Power Company says there was no atomic materials there the final time they inspected the positioning.

The one nuclear energy plant within the United Arab Emirates, its four-reactor facility at Barakah, additionally has been focused through the battle. Iran has since warned that it will take unspecified “required actions” to reply to the Darkhovin assault.

Iran’s nuclear program has been a fear for the West for many years

In 2025, the U.S. bombed Iran’s nuclear websites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. All three had carried out uranium enrichment.

On the time of the 2025 battle and the latest Iran battle, each Israel and the U.S. stated they aimed to cease Iran from ever be capable of construct a nuclear weapon. Iran has lengthy insisted its program is peaceable, and it is not believed by the IAEA or the West to have had an energetic navy nuclear program since 2003. Israel lengthy has been believed to be the Center East’s solely nuclear-armed state.

Nonetheless, even earlier than the latest wars Iranian officers have more and more threatened to pursue an atomic bomb. The late Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed Feb. 28 within the opening moments of the battle, issued a verbal fatwa, or spiritual ruling, that nuclear weapons have been un-Islamic. Nonetheless, his son, Iran’s new Supreme Chief Mojtaba Khamenei, has not issued any assertion relating to his views on the atomic bomb.

To construct a usable weapon, Iran would first want to counterpoint uranium as much as 90% purity. It might then must construct an precise bomb, after which probably additionally must miniaturize it and mount it on a ballistic missile. That course of would take months or years, and would face the chance of discovery by Israeli or U.S. intelligence within the meantime.