President Donald Trump said the United States plans to strike the area where Iran’s nuclear centrifuges are rumoured to be located “pretty soon” and “very heavily,” issuing one of his strongest public warnings yet to Tehran.
Speaking to reporters, Trump was asked about reports that Iran may have moved uranium enrichment centrifuges into the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain complex near the Natanz nuclear facility.
“We’ll be hitting that area very, probably pretty soon, and there’s not a thing they can do about it,” Trump said.
He added that he would not normally speak publicly about a potential military operation if he believed Iran could counter it.
“Normally I wouldn’t say that. If I thought they could do something about it, I would never say that, but we’ll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily,” Trump said.
Pickaxe Mountain has become a major focus of nuclear concerns
The remarks come after reports that Israeli intelligence believes Iran may have transferred thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges into the deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain site, which is located near Natanz.
The complex is believed to be buried hundreds of feet beneath solid rock, making it significantly harder to destroy than surface facilities and raising concerns that Iran could preserve or rapidly rebuild parts of its nuclear programme even if other sites are damaged.
Escalating pressure on Tehran
Trump’s comments mark a notable escalation in rhetoric as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to intensify. The United States has recently conducted strikes on Iranian military targets, while officials have also increased economic pressure through sanctions and other financial measures.
Iran has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest threat, and US officials have not announced any specific timeline or operational details regarding a possible strike on the Natanz area.
International inspectors still seek access
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has previously said Iran informed the agency of plans for nuclear related activity at Pickaxe Mountain, but inspectors have not been given full details about the site.
Western analysts say the key concern is a “covert breakout” scenario in which Iran could move sensitive enrichment activities to a hidden or difficult to inspect location and potentially advance toward nuclear weapons capability without immediate detection.
Trump’s latest statement has therefore intensified scrutiny of the Natanz region and raised fresh questions about whether the United States may be preparing direct military action against one of Iran’s most heavily protected nuclear related facilities.