US president signals further military action as tensions with Tehran intensify
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday warned that the United States could target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility, signaling further military action as tensions between Washington and Tehran continued to escalate.
Speaking during an interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump said the US was closely monitoring the underground site near Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment complex and suggested it could become a future military target.
“We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” Trump said, adding that US forces had repeatedly targeted Iranian nuclear-related infrastructure whenever intelligence indicated renewed activity.
He claimed there was currently little movement at the facility but indicated that military planners were continuing to assess the site. Pickaxe Mountain is widely regarded as one of Iran’s most heavily fortified underground installations, with experts believing its deeply buried tunnel complexes are designed to withstand even the most powerful bunker-buster bombs in the US arsenal.
Military pressure increases alongside Gulf operations
Trump also reaffirmed Washington’s tougher military posture in the Gulf, saying the United States would maintain its renewed blockade of Iranian shipping while ensuring commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The president warned that additional military operations against Iran would continue in the coming days, stressing that the United States would respond aggressively to developments it viewed as threatening regional security and international shipping.
His remarks followed another round of missile and drone exchanges between US and Iranian forces, further escalating the confrontation that has already affected regional stability and raised concerns over global energy supplies.
The latest comments underscore Washington’s increasingly forceful approach toward Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure as diplomatic efforts remain stalled. Meanwhile, analysts continue to monitor whether the growing military pressure will influence Tehran’s strategic calculations or deepen the ongoing conflict across the region.
