Israeli source claims new intelligence will be presented during Washington meeting
WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to brief US President Donald Trump on alleged Iranian activity at the Pickaxe Mountain complex during their meeting in Washington, according to a report by the New York Post citing an Israeli source.
The report said Netanyahu plans to argue that Tehran continues to advance its nuclear programme despite publicly expressing support for diplomacy. According to the unnamed source, Israel believes recent activity at the underground facility demonstrates that Iran is not acting in line with its stated commitment to negotiations.
The claims have not been independently verified, and Iranian authorities were not quoted responding to the allegations in the report.
Reports cite alleged movement of nuclear infrastructure
According to the New York Post, Netanyahu intends to present intelligence alleging that Iran transferred centrifuges to the Pickaxe Mountain complex after reaching a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States.
The report follows earlier claims by The Wall Street Journal that Israel had uncovered evidence of centrifuge movements to the site. The complex, reportedly under construction since 2020, is located about 1.5 kilometres south of the Natanz nuclear facility, which has previously been targeted during military operations.
No independent evidence supporting the reported transfer of nuclear equipment has been made public.
Trump signals shifting position
President Trump has made differing public comments regarding the Pickaxe Mountain facility in recent weeks.
He previously said the site was not targeted because there was insufficient evidence that it was being used for Iran’s nuclear programme. However, during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun last week, Trump said the United States would strike the site “pretty soon” and warned Iran that it had “not seen anything yet.”
Earlier this month, Trump also suggested the possibility of attacking the facility during a media interview. However, he later stated that US intelligence had not confirmed activity at the complex or the reported movement of centrifuges.
The reported discussions come amid continued scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear activities and ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Washington and Tehran.
