What to know about Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, home to an underground nuclear site threatened by Trump

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-to-know-about-irans-pickaxe-mountain-home-to-an-underground-nuclear-site-threatened-by-trump Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What to know about Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, home to an underground nuclear site threatened by Trump World Jul 22, 2026 5:31 PM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued threats to bomb an under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain as the two nations exchange blows over the Strait of Hormuz. The site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or "Pickaxe Mountain," lies on the south side of Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site, which was bombed by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025's 12-day war between Iran and Israel. But Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues to dig at the site. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. It remains unclear just what has been placed at Pickaxe Mountain, as the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has never gained access to the site. But Trump on Tuesday talking with journalists in the Oval Office acknowledged the possibility Iran may have moved centrifuges there, potentially at a depth that would challenge even the most-powerful bombs in America's arsenal. "We'll be hitting that area ... probably pretty soon. And there's not a thing they can do about it," Trump said. WATCH: Trump says U.S. will hit area of Iran's Pickaxe Mountain 'very heavily' Here's what to know about Pickaxe Mountain and the status of Iran's nuclear program. Pickaxe Mountain site was built after earlier attacks on Iran The new project at Pickaxe Mountain is being constructed next to Natanz, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) south of Tehran, Iran's capital. Natanz, a mix of above- and underground facilities, has been a point of international concern since its existence became known two decades ago. Repeated sabotage attacks on Natanz, including one likely carried out by Israel that destroyed a manufacturing site for centrifuges, led Iranian officials to start work on the Pickaxe Mountain site. Protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the facility sprawls across 2.7 square kilometers (1 square mile) in the country's arid Central Plateau. It has multiple entrances visible from satellite images. In 2023, an Associated Press story on Pickaxe Mountain included analysis from experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies that suggested Iran is likely building a facility at a depth of between 80 meters (260 feet) and 100 meters (328 feet). Digging has continued at the site in the time since, with some experts suggesting it could be even deeper underground. READ MORE: AP report: Fire at Iran nuclear site