Pickaxe Mountain (Persian: Kūh-e Kolang) is a hard-rock peak about 1.5–2 kilometers south of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Isfahan province. Since late 2020, Iran has excavated a deep subterranean tunnel complex there, designed to withstand sabotage and heavy bombardment; Western and Israeli intelligence agencies suspect it could house sensitive nuclear-related work or stockpiles, while Tehran says the site is for legitimate technical use.
On September 4–5, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces may strike Pickaxe Mountain “very soon,” citing Space Force and satellite monitoring of activity at the site. The facility has not been hit in earlier U.S. or allied strikes on Natanz; analysts note the tunnels may sit more than 100 meters under granite, which complicates bunker-buster targeting.