Trump threatens strike on Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ as tensions escalate

WEB DESK: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to target Iran’s heavily fortified “Pickaxe Mountain” facility, warning Tehran that Washington would continue launching strikes as tensions between the two countries intensify.

In an interview with the Hugh Hewitt Show on Monday, Trump said the United States was closely monitoring the underground site near Iran’s damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility and suggested that a strike could take place soon.

 “We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” Trump said, claiming that Iran was facing setbacks in its nuclear programme.

Trump said Washington was watching the facility “closely” and alleged that Iran had been avoiding discussions about its nuclear activities following previous US strikes.

 “Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don’t like talking about it,” he added.

Located near the Natanz nuclear complex, Pickaxe Mountain is considered one of Iran’s most heavily protected sites, featuring deeply buried tunnel systems that experts believe could withstand some of the most powerful bunker-buster weapons in the US arsenal.

The warning came as Trump also announced renewed pressure on Iran’s maritime activities, saying the United States was reinstating a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf while ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open.

The president further warned that Washington would intensify military action against Tehran following a series of missile and drone exchanges between the two sides.

 “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow. And there’s not a damn thing they can do about it,” Trump said.

The latest remarks mark a further escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the possibility of strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities raising concerns of a broader regional conflict.