Trump Threatens Attack on Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’

US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch an attack on a facility in Iran known as "Pickaxe Mountain," which is linked to the country’s nuclear program. He is considering this move to ensure that Tehran can never develop nuclear weapons.

However, Trump has made it clear that the United States will not use nuclear weapons in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The US President made these remarks during an interview with the American media outlet Newsmax on Thursday night (October 15). He also touched upon the conflict that began last February, involving attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Trump stated that the US objective is to prevent Iran from ever possessing nuclear weapons, as he believes that if Iran were to acquire such arms, it would certainly use them.

Noting that Iran’s nuclear facilities are located deep within mountains, Trump said, "Their nuclear facilities are buried under millions of tons of rock. Now, we are looking at 'Pickaxe Mountain.' We might have to go there. We will strike that facility and destroy it quickly."

"Pickaxe Mountain" refers to a fortified site located near one of Iran’s primary nuclear facilities, not far from the capital, Tehran. It is understood to be constructed deep underground.

According to Trump’s comments, the United States is considering further strikes aimed at completely neutralizing Iran’s nuclear program.

When asked whether the US would use nuclear weapons in the conflict with Iran, Trump replied, "I would not use nuclear weapons. There is no need for that."

He also reiterated that there are no plans to deploy ground forces into Iran.

However, Trump did not explicitly state whether he has authorized the use of one of the most powerful conventional bombs in the US arsenal to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb—also known as the "Mother of All Bombs"—was brought up during the interview.

Trump did not provide a direct answer when asked whether he had authorized the use of this bomb against Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities. However, he clarified that the MOAB is a conventional bomb, not a nuclear weapon.

Source: NDTV