Explainer-What is Pickaxe Mountain, the Iranian nuclear-linked site threatened by Trump?
Understanding Pickaxe Mountain and Its Significance
July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to attack a site linked to Iran's nuclear programme known as Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Tehran's main nuclear sites.
The threat reflects escalating tensions as Tehran and Washington trade fire in the Gulf, setting back efforts to end the conflict.
Here is what we know about Pickaxe Mountain:
Location and Description of Pickaxe Mountain
WHAT IS PICKAXE MOUNTAIN?
Geographical Details
Pickaxe Mountain is located 220 km (140 miles) south of Tehran and 2 km (1.2 miles) from the Natanz nuclear complex.
The Natanz site, where two of Iran's uranium enrichment plants were located, was bombed during the war started by the United States and Israel on February 28, and during last year's 12-day war.
The tunnel facility under construction at Pickaxe Mountain was not targeted in either of those wars, according to the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a U.S.-based think-tank focused on nuclear non-proliferation.
The peak rises to some 1,600 metres above sea level.
Natanz Nuclear Complex
There were two enrichment plants in operation at Natanz - one above and one below ground. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said the above-ground one was destroyed. The other, underground one was likely at least badly damaged.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on July 22 that there was no nuclear activity at Pickaxe Mountain.
History and Development of the Site
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE SITE?
Origins and Construction
The site is linked to Iran's nuclear programme, which has long caused tension between the West and Iran, which denies seeking an atomic bomb.
Construction of the facility at Pickaxe Mountain began in 2020, according to ISIS, following what Iranian authorities reported at the time as an explosion caused by an act of sabotage at the Natanz facility.
Iran said at the time the Natanz sabotage had caused significant damage that could slow the development of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges.
Expansion and Modernization
In September that year, Iran's then-nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said Iran had started building "a more modern, larger and more comprehensive hall in all dimensions in the heart of the mountain near Natanz" for making advanced centrifuges.
Rafael Grossi, the chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, in an interview with PBS Frontline in March, noted that Iran had previously announced its intention to have nuclear activity at Pickaxe Mountain.
It was part of what he called a systematic Iranian intention to put its most sensitive facilities underground.
Facilities and Defenses at Pickaxe Mountain
WHAT HAS IRAN BUILT AT PICKAXE MOUNTAIN?
Structural Features
ISIS, which has analysed satellite imagery of the site, says it features two pairs of entrances, which are assumed to lead to one facility estimated to be at least 100 metres under the mountain.
The physical defensive measures consist primarily of a large security perimeter and the extensive hardening of tunnel entrances, ISIS said in a July 14 report.
Tunnel Entrances and Security
The pair of eastern tunnel portal entrances have been partially backfilled since the wars to obstruct ground vehicle access but they have not been sealed fully, the ISIS report said.
Sam Lair, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, who also reviewed recent satellite imagery of the site, told Reuters that increasing the strength of the tunnel entrances would complicate targeting it with penetrating munitions such as bunker busters.
Current Status and Potential Uses
IS THE SITE FUNCTIONING AND WHAT COULD IT BE USED FOR?
Operational Status
Trump said this month that the U.S. was watching the site closely and did not see any activity there.
ISIS, in its report, said its assessment was that the facility was not yet operational, but that construction continued there and that it was unclear when it could be operational, based on satellite imagery alone.
Possible Future Activities
It said if Iran started to rebuild its centrifuge manufacturing capability, it could plan to install a smaller centrifuge assembly facility in Pickaxe Mountain able to serve a nuclear weapons program.
Potential Attack Scenarios
HOW MIGHT THE SITE BE ATTACKED?
Military Assessment
Experts assess the deeply buried complex is beyond the reach of the most powerful bunker buster bombs in the U.S. arsenal.
ISIS said the site would be more suitable for ground forces to attack or sabotage, but that vulnerabilities may also exist that could be exploited by deep earth penetrating weapons via aerial attacks.
(Additional reporting by Catherine Cartier; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
