Netanyahu to brief Trump on Iran rebuilding nuclear program at Pickaxe Mountain: report
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House to present intelligence on Iran’s efforts to rebuild its nuclear program at the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz, according to a source cited by the New York Post.
The underground complex, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La and buried more than 300 feet beneath the mountain, has long been suspected of links to Iran’s atomic ambitions.
Construction began in 2020 after sabotage damaged centrifuge assembly facilities at Natanz.
‘Israeli’ intelligence assessments, reported by the Wall Street Journal and shared with the US, indicate that Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into the tunnels last fall following earlier US and ‘Israeli’ strikes on other nuclear sites.
The source told the New York Post that Netanyahu’s team would provide evidence of recent nuclear activity at the site and argue that Tehran is not negotiating in good faith during ongoing cease-fire talks.
The source added that ‘Israel’ would also share intelligence showing Iran is already rebuilding its missile and drone programs damaged by American airstrikes.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump pushed back against reports that he needed the briefing. “Well, I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved,” Trump said on Fox & Friends.
He continued: “We know exactly what’s going on. But no, I heard Bibi announce that. I said, ‘Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?’ I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe. It’s not a big problem. We took out their nuclear site, and we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal.”
Experts have warned that striking the site would be extremely difficult.
The GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs previously used against other Iranian facilities can penetrate only about 200 feet, falling short of Pickaxe Mountain’s depth.
Analysts note the site lacks the exposed ventilation shafts that made earlier targets more vulnerable, though some suggest attacking entrances or using larger munitions remains an option.
Iran has denied any nuclear activity at the location.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called US focus on the site “nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage.”
Trump has paused recent airstrikes amid indirect talks aimed at ending conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while warning that military action could resume if no agreement is reached.
