Report: Israel assesses Iran moved thousands of centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain
An Israeli intelligence report claims Iran has moved uranium enrichment centrifuges to a deep underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain. U.S. officials and President Trump have signaled that the site may be a target for future military strikes.
Why it matters
The potential targeting of nuclear facilities in Iran represents a significant escalation in geopolitical tensions and nuclear proliferation risks.
Iran relocated thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges to a deep underground facility inside Pickaxe Mountain last autumn, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment cited in a
Wall Street Journal
report on Monday, citing Israeli and American officials.
The report noted that these findings were shared with the United States and indicated that the transfer took place following the June 2025 war, during which Israeli and US strikes targeted Iran’s three primary nuclear sites.
An Israeli military official familiar with the strike operations expressed concern that the airstrikes during that campaign did not sufficiently target facilities tied to nuclear weapons development, telling
WSJ
that there is still work to be done, including at Pickaxe Mountain.
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