US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would launch "very heavy" strikes on Iran soon, identifying the Pickaxe Mountain area as a key target while escalating his rhetoric against Tehran.
Speaking during a press briefing, Trump said the US would hit Pickaxe Mountain very heavily and added that action against the area would come soon. "We will be hitting soon, very heavily," Trump said, warning that Iran "hasn't seen anything yet" and claiming the US had been "nice" so far.
The US president also said Washington would target any site Iran is thinking about for its nuclear programme, reiterating that any agreement with Tehran would ensure the country will not have a nuclear weapon. "Our deal will not let Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
ALSO READ: 'Blow It Up': Inside Washington's New Nuclear Obsession With Iran's 'Pickaxe' Mountain
The president further described Iran's leadership as "very evil people" and claimed the country was attempting to influence US mid-term elections through developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, without providing evidence.
Trump's latest remarks come days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence believes Iran quietly transferred thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into deeply buried tunnels beneath Pickaxe Mountain last autumn, potentially preserving its ability to rebuild nuclear operations.
Citing Israeli and US officials, the newspaper reported that Israel shared the intelligence assessment with Washington. According to the report, the centrifuges were relocated after the 12-day conflict in June, during which US and Israeli forces struck Iran's three main nuclear facilities.
The latest comments also reinforce Trump's warning from an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show last week, when he said, "We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready."
ALSO READ: Pickaxe Puzzle: Iran's 'Hidden Nuclear Push' Behind Renewed US Military Campaign?
Located in Iran's Zagros mountain range, around two kilometres south of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is believed to house two large underground tunnel complexes.
Satellite imagery and assessments by nuclear experts suggest the facility is buried beneath hundreds of metres of rock, making it one of Iran's most heavily protected nuclear-related sites and potentially beyond the reach of even the US military's most powerful bunker-buster bombs.
The renewed threat also contrasts with Trump's repeated assertion that last year's US strikes had obliterated Iran's nuclear programme.
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