Trump Vows to Strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain
The president said he would take out the suspected Iranian nuclear site in about ten minutes, a claim military experts say would require a nuclear bunker buster.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Nuclear
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Should the U.S. military strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site?
On October 31, President Donald Trump said he would take out Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear facility, and that he needed only 10 minutes to do so. The site was not struck during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025 or Operation Epic Fury in 2026.
Why it matters
Pickaxe Mountain remains a concern for Washington because it is suspected of housing an Iranian facility capable of enriching uranium. Israeli intelligence reports have suggested Iran used the mountain's underground facilities for enrichment work.
The suspected facility lies 80 to 100 metres beneath the surface of a mountain rising 1,600 metres, depths that conventional GBU-34/B MOAB and GBU-57 MOP munitions cannot reach. Whether any strike is planned, and what the facility's exact activities are, remains unconfirmed.
The players
Donald Trump
The U.S. president, who has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran's nuclear program and made the Pickaxe Mountain remark.
The details
US military experts said the B61-11 nuclear bunker buster could be used in such an operation, since the facility is buried deeper than conventional options can penetrate. Trump's remark that the job would take only 10 minutes has not been matched by any published operational plan.
Timeline
October 31: Trump says he would take out Pickaxe Mountain.
2025: Operation Midnight Hammer passes without striking the site.
2026: Operation Epic Fury passes without striking the site.
Big Picture
The threat follows Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025, which struck other Iranian nuclear sites but left Pickaxe Mountain untouched, and Operation Epic Fury in 2026, which also spared the mountain. It marks a continuation of Washington's effort to reach Iran's deepest suspected enrichment infrastructure.
A strike on a deeply buried nuclear facility could raise regional security tensions and affect global oil and diplomatic markets. The public would feel these effects through potential shifts in energy prices and international relations.
The takeaway
Threats against deeply buried nuclear sites depend on munitions capable of reaching them, and the gap between rhetoric and available options is central to judging what comes next. Readers should watch official military statements for signs of an actual operational decision.
Further reading
Explore more on Nuclear developments and the policies shaping them.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Firstpost.
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Should the U.S. military strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site?
