Pickaxe Mountain | Iran’s natural fortress
U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled potential military action against Pickaxe Mountain in Iran, a site suspected by Israeli intelligence of housing nuclear facilities. Satellite imagery confirms recent tunnel construction and vehicle activity at the location.
Why it matters
The potential targeting of a suspected nuclear site represents a significant escalation in geopolitical tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.
“We’ll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon, and there’s not a thing they can do about it,” U.S. President Donald Trump recently said about Pickaxe Mountain, a geological formation around 220 km south of Tehran.
The locals call it Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La. Recent satellite images showed a flurry of activity around the formation, including the movement of vehicles, and entrances to what appear to be tunnels. What is under the mountain is not clear, although Israeli intelligence seems to believe it houses a part of Iran’s nuclear programme.
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