Neutralizing Iran’s deepest nuclear bunker may prove to be the “key” to ending the war, however analysts warn that fully destroying it could require the deployment of special forces on the ground inside the Islamic Republic.
According to sources from Western intelligence services, the facility codenamed “Pickaxe Mountain” is located near Natanz and lies more than 100 meters beneath a mountain. This depth exceeds even the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, which was struck by the United States last summer.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. intelligence sources say Tehran may have relocated its remaining enriched uranium to a fortified underground facility known as Pickaxe Mountain — a deeply buried bunker that is extremely difficult to penetrate. pic.twitter.com/qCV32NnXI7
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) March 13, 2026
Despite the air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel during the “12-Day War” last summer, Tehran managed to reinforce its bases once again. Donald Trump has made it clear that a top priority remains preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The country currently holds more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to nearly 60%, a quantity that, with minimal further processing, would be enough to produce at least 11 nuclear bombs.
Fortified targets and diplomatic deadlock
The nuclear material is believed to be dispersed between Fordow and the complex in Isfahan. At the same time, the think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) reports that a new enrichment facility has been under construction since 2020 at Pickaxe Mountain, just one mile away from the Natanz installation.
An example of the secrecy surrounding the project involves Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). When he requested information about work at the site, Iranian authorities reportedly responded that it was “none of his concern.”
The possibility of a ground operation
Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the FDD’s nonproliferation program, told the New York Post that the war cannot be considered successful unless the Pickaxe Mountain site is secured.
“They must neutralize the fortress and seize or eliminate the stockpiles of highly enriched uranium before major military operations conclude,” Stricker warned.
Because Iran’s nuclear program has shown remarkable resilience to air strikes, deploying ground forces appears to be the only definitive solution. While Trump has so far avoided sending troops directly, he left the possibility open for the future:
“At some point we might do it. We didn’t do it now, maybe we’ll do it later,” he told reporters last weekend.
The recent attack on the Taleghan facilities last Thursday may signal a new phase of operations. Annika Ganzeveld of the American Enterprise Institute noted that with Iranian defense systems and launchers severely damaged, the path may now be open for the United States and Israel to directly target the core of Tehran’s nuclear program.
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