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Iran Fortifies Pickaxe Mountain as U.S. Threatens Strike
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Iran fortifies Pickaxe Mountain amid U.S. threats
Satellite imagery released in early September shows Iran has added earthen roadblocks and additional soil over western tunnel portals at Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear-linked site about two kilometres from the Natanz complex. The new earth cover is intended to harden the entrances against aerial bombardment. The Institute for Science and International Security noted that the site remains inaccessible, suggesting it is not in normal operation but that valuable equipment may still be inside.
Background and recent developments
Construction of the underground facility began in 2020 after sabotage damaged an advanced centrifuge assembly at Natanz. Iranian officials say the site hosts no nuclear activity. Analysts estimate portions of the complex lie at least 100 metres beneath the mountain, deeper than the earlier Fordow facility. In parallel, Iran has been rebuilding the Taleghan 2 site at the Parchin military complex, with satellite images from mid-September showing tarps, dump trucks and concrete equipment covering the damaged structure.
Official statements & responses
President Donald Trump warned reporters that Iran should not “get cute” because the United States would have to hit the site “very hard.” “We notice there’s a little activity at Pickaxe,” — Donald Trump, nuclear-linked site president
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz asserted that the snapback sanctions were lawfully re-instated and that the United Nations Security Council had followed proper procedures. “The snapback sanctions… occurred, the United States and this U.N. Security Council followed appropriate procedures for that to occur,” — N. Mike Waltz He added that the international community has repeatedly affirmed that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.” “The president has been clear, and the world community has been clear with resolution after resolution, that the Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon,” — N. Mike Waltz
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the window for a direct strike may have passed because the facility is now deeper than Fordow, but he argued Washington retains other military options, such as “burying their entrances” to raise the political cost for Tehran.
Data and statistics
- Multiple tunnel entrances lead into the underground complex; new soil was placed over at least one western portal and a nearby cluster built in 2007.
- Roadblocks remain on access roads to the western tunnel portals.
- The UN Security Council vote on extending the sanctions panel’s mandate received 11 votes in favour, with Pakistan and Somalia abstaining; Russia and China vetoed the resolution.
International reactions and sanctions dispute
The veto by Russia and China reflects a broader split over whether sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear agreement were legally restored via the snapback mechanism. Most Council members maintain the sanctions are active, while the two vetoing powers reject the legal and procedural basis of that claim. An independent UN fact-finding mission later reported reasonable grounds to consider two U.S. strikes in February as potential war crimes and also cited alleged crimes against humanity by Iranian authorities during protest crackdowns.