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President Donald Trump has publicly identified the Iranian nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain as a potential target for US military strikes. While the US claims the site is inactive, international observers report ongoing construction and hardening of the facility.
Why it matters
The rhetoric escalates tensions between the US and Iran, raising concerns about potential military conflict and nuclear proliferation.
US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England. — Win McNamee/Getty Images عربي 简体中文 Español WASHINGTON — As he pledged further strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States could target an underground nuclear facility known as Pickaxe Mountain.
The reporting focuses on the President's aggressive stance and quotes his direct threats, which may be perceived as amplifying a hawkish foreign policy narrative.
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