Media: Israel, US focus on Iran's Pickaxe nuclear site in closed-door talks

A senior Israeli delegation held closed-door consultations in Washington with U.S. officials to present Israel’s position on ongoing discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme, Israeli media reported.

According to Israel’s Channel 14, citing sources familiar with the talks, one of the central issues raised was the status of an underground facility located beneath Pickaxe Mountain in Iran. The site, situated south of Tehran, is regarded as one of the country’s most heavily fortified installations and is believed to be linked to Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Pickaxe Mountain contains two tunnel complexes buried deep underground, making the facility particularly difficult to destroy. U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that the site has been excavated beneath hundreds of metres of solid granite rock, a design intended to shield it from bunker-busting munitions.

Sources said Israel had informed the United States ahead of the visit that it considers the Pickaxe facility a strategic target, arguing that it should be factored into any future agreement with Iran.

Western intelligence agencies, according to the U.S.-based Al-Monitor website, suspect that Tehran may be seeking to establish a covert uranium enrichment facility at the site, potentially serving as a “strategic hedge” within its nuclear programme. Iran, however, has consistently maintained since construction began in 2020 that the facility is intended solely for the assembly and production of advanced centrifuges.

Following the consultations, Washington’s stance on the issue appeared to shift, the report said. On July 13, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly referred to the Pickaxe site for the first time and signalled that military options remain under consideration.

“We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” Trump said in an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show.

In separate remarks, he added: “We’re watching Pickaxe Mountain very closely. We don’t see any activity there. They’re not doing very well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up. So they don’t like to talk about it. But we’ll probably give Pickaxe a hit relatively soon.”

By Tamilla Hasanova