Iran Pickaxe Mountain: Despite extensive US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure including a five-week conflict that began in February and a series of targeted attacks in June 2025, the facility known as Pickaxe Mountain, or Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, remains intact. Experts within and outside the US government emphasize that any future diplomatic agreement with Tehran must ensure the permanent closure of this site.
Located in central Iran, approximately one mile south of the damaged Natanz uranium enrichment plant and 200 miles south of Tehran, the facility is buried deep beneath solid granite. Analysts indicate that the site is constructed roughly 2,000 feet deeper than the Fordo enrichment plant, placing it beyond the destructive range of the US military’s specialized 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrators.
During the June 2025 “Operation Midnight Hammer,” American forces successfully neutralized three major nuclear sites, including the facility at Fordo. However, according to the Institute for Science and International Security, the depth and fortification of Pickaxe Mountain render standard bunker-busting tactics ineffective.
When construction commenced in 2020, Iranian officials stated the facility was intended for centrifuge manufacturing to replace capacity lost in previous sabotage incidents. Tehran has since refused to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection access to the site, fueling concerns among global security experts regarding its true purpose.
Analysts suspect the facility may be utilized for weapon-grade uranium enrichment. Furthermore, there is significant concern that Iran may have already relocated a portion of its 439-kilogram stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the hidden chambers within Pickaxe Mountain to secure its nuclear program against further military intervention.
