Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain Nuclear Site Draws Attention After Trump Warning
Iran’s underground nuclear site faces global attention.
A heavily fortified underground facility known as Pickaxe Mountain near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex has drawn international attention amid renewed tensions between Tehran and Washington. The site is believed to house advanced nuclear-related infrastructure and has been described by analysts as a facility designed to withstand conventional airstrikes, with US President Donald Trump threatening further attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.
According to reports, Israeli intelligence shared information with the United States suggesting that Iran moved uranium-enrichment centrifuges to the Pickaxe Mountain facility in late 2025. Centrifuges are used in the uranium enrichment process, which can support civilian nuclear energy programs but can also produce material used in nuclear weapons if enriched to higher levels.
The underground complex is located south of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, which has faced multiple attacks in recent years. Analysts believe Pickaxe Mountain was developed as a more secure alternative after an explosion damaged parts of the Natanz nuclear complex. Iranian authorities had previously said the underground halls were intended to replace a centrifuge assembly facility that was destroyed in the blast.
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Research by the Institute for Science and International Security, a US-based think tank that studies nuclear facilities, indicates that construction of the underground site began in 2020. Satellite imagery analysis suggests the facility is located deep beneath a mountain and includes multiple tunnel entrances within a heavily protected area. The complex is estimated to be buried at least 100 metres underground, making it more difficult to target.
The site reportedly contains two sets of tunnel entrances believed to connect to a larger underground network, though analysts have said the exact layout cannot be confirmed. Differences in the elevation of the entrances have led experts to suggest that the facility may include multiple underground levels designed for protection and operational security.
The development of Pickaxe Mountain reflects Iran’s efforts to secure its nuclear infrastructure following repeated attacks on above-ground facilities. Experts say the depth, reinforced construction and underground design could complicate any military operation against the site, particularly when using conventional weapons, while international concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities continue to remain a major source of regional tension.
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