Trump claims Iran’s military has been ‘destroyed’, threatens Pickaxe Mountain

• Trump told Fox News that the US could strike Iran’s suspected underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain within an hour.
• He said Washington could launch the attack “as soon as we want, at any time we want.”
• Trump claimed Operation Midnight Hammer had destroyed Iran’s potential nuclear capabilities.

US President Donald Trump has claimed Tuesday that Iran’s military capabilities have been largely destroyed and warned that Washington could launch another strike against the country’s nuclear infrastructure within an hour, as tensions with Tehran persist despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump defended the results of previous US military operations against Iran, saying the June 2025 strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer had eliminated the country’s potential nuclear capabilities.

“We bombed out all of their potential nuclear power,” Trump said, referring to the operation that targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

However, he said Washington might still need to target Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear facility in Iran, adding that such an operation would not pose a significant challenge.

“We can do it in literally one hour. We can do that as soon as we want, at any time we want,” he said.

Trump also described Iran’s military as severely weakened, claiming its navy, air force and air defense systems had been destroyed, while its remaining missile and drone capabilities had been significantly reduced.

“Their military is gone, their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone,” he said, adding that Tehran had limited missiles and drones and little capacity to manufacture more.

“What we've done is amazing,” Trump added.

Pickaxe Mountain

Trump's remarks come amid renewed attention to Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear facility near Iran's Natanz nuclear complex that has become a potential target in discussions about further US military action.

The president has previously warned that Washington may need to strike the site, saying it could be hit within minutes. On Nov. 1, he told reporters that the US still needed to address one or two Iranian nuclear sites, specifically mentioning Pickaxe Mountain. 

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi has acknowledged indications of movement around the construction site but said the agency had no concrete information about what activities might be taking place there.  

Read more: Trump threatens to 'give Iran the hammer' despite claims of military victory