Trump says US may target Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility

Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said Washington might target Pickaxe Mountain, an underground facility associated with Iran’s nuclear programme, as part of efforts to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Speaking to Newsmax, he ruled out using nuclear weapons in the conflict.

Possible strike on underground facility

Trump said Iranian nuclear infrastructure lay beneath millions of tonnes of mountain and that the US was examining Pickaxe Mountain as a possible target. He suggested American forces could strike and quickly destroy the facility.

Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified installation deep below ground, close to one of Tehran’s principal nuclear sites.

Trump said the US sought to ensure Iran never acquired a nuclear weapon, “because if they had it, they would use it.”

Nuclear weapons and ground troops ruled out

The war against Iran started in February following strikes by the US and Israel. Trump said using a nuclear bomb against Iran was unnecessary, telling Newsmax: “I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to.”

He also repeated that he was not considering deploying American ground forces in Iran.

Trump did not disclose whether he had authorised strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, commonly called the mother of all bombs. He said the MOAB was not a nuclear weapon.