President Donald Trump, referring to Mount Pickaxe in central Iran, stated in an interview published by Newsmax on 15/10: "We may have to target that. Their nuclear facility is buried deep under millions of tons of mountain rock. We will strike this location and take it down quickly."

President Trump underscored the U.S. commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, clarifying that he had no plans to deploy ground troops for such an assault. He stated, "No, I haven't considered that scenario. I don't think so."

President Trump speaks at the White House on 15/10. *Reuters*

The U.S. leader neither confirmed nor denied reports of the Pentagon developing plans to deploy the GBU-43/B massive ordnance air blast (MOAB) bomb, nicknamed the "Mother of All Bombs". These plans reportedly involve attacking Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities should conflict reignite.

Instead, President Trump emphasized that the MOAB is "not a nuclear weapon" and affirmed the U.S. would not use nuclear weapons in Iran. He added, "We don't need to do that."

The U.S. leader predicted the conflict would soon conclude, asserting that Tehran was engaged in negotiations with Washington. He remarked, "It's almost over. One way or another, it will end. Oil prices will drop like a rock, and so will gas prices."

This was not President Trump's first threat against the Mount Pickaxe nuclear facility. In mid-July, he had declared the site could be "a target for a strong, beautiful blow right at the front door." He had also stated, "We will destroy that area, tell Iran to get ready. Let them know we are coming and they won't be able to do anything."

Despite these threats, the U.S. military has not launched any airstrikes against Mount Pickaxe, though it continues to monitor all activities at the site.

Vehicles at the western tunnel entrance of the Mount Pickaxe facility in a satellite image taken on 21/6. *AP*

Mount Pickaxe, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is situated in the Zagros Mountains, approximately 1,5 km from Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. When construction commenced in 2020, Iran characterized it as a "centrifuge assembly plant." Tehran's refusal to grant international inspectors access to the site has fueled speculation that the facility might be used for clandestine uranium enrichment activities.

According to Hill, the Mount Pickaxe facility lies approximately 600 m beneath a layer of solid granite. This depth and geological composition render even the most powerful U.S. bunker-buster bombs incapable of reaching the underground tunnels. Western experts consequently describe the subterranean tunnel system beneath Mount Pickaxe as an "impenetrable fortress" against all munitions currently in the U.S. military's arsenal.

Vu Hoang (Source: Reuters, Anadolu, Jerusalem Post)