Story perspectives

Iran Shifts Thousands of Centrifuges Underground; US Plans Strike

7/22/2026

Center

Iran Relocates Centrifuges

Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz in the fall of 2025, after the June 2025 12-day war.
Coverage notes the complex lies more than 100 m underground, limiting effectiveness of conventional bunker-penetrating weapons.
Satellite images reviewed by CNN show trucks entering and exiting the tunnels, indicating ongoing activity.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi demanded Iran permit inspectors at Pickaxe Mountain.

Right

Trump Orders Strike

Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz in fall 2025, after the June 2025 war.
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces will strike Pickaxe Mountain soon, emphasizing decisive action against Iran.
An Israeli military official said the June 2025 airstrikes missed nuclear-weapons sites, including Pickaxe Mountain.
U.S. Central Command said a tenth day of strikes hit Iran’s centers and missile sites.

History

Historical Context

The Geneva interim agreement, signed on 24 November 2013 by Iran and the P5+1, froze key enrichment work and began partial sanctions relief on 20 January 2014. That six-month pause led to the April 2015 framework and the July 2015 JCPOA, which left 50 % of Natanz centrifuges inoperable. The 2025 underground relocation of thousands of centrifuges revives the same diplomatic tensions.

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Iran Relocates Centrifuges

Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz in the fall of 2025, after the June 2025 12-day war.
Coverage notes the complex lies more than 100 m underground, limiting effectiveness of conventional bunker-penetrating weapons.
Satellite images reviewed by CNN show trucks entering and exiting the tunnels, indicating ongoing activity.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi demanded Iran permit inspectors at Pickaxe Mountain.

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