One of the greatest remaining concerns for Israel and the United States is Iran’s heavily fortified “Pickaxe Mountain” facility, an underground tunnel complex carved into granite near the Natanz nuclear site that has so far escaped military attack.

Located roughly one mile south of Natanz, the facility is believed to sit between 100 and 135 meters (330–440 feet) beneath solid granite, making it one of Iran’s most heavily protected nuclear sites. Its depth and construction are similar to the Fordow enrichment facility, which required U.S. B-2 stealth bombers and massive bunker-busting bombs to inflict significant damage.

According to reports, Pickaxe Mountain was originally used primarily to store centrifuges and nuclear equipment rather than conduct active uranium enrichment. Because it was believed to be largely empty during previous military operations, Israeli and American planners reportedly concluded that striking the site would provide little immediate benefit.

That assessment has since changed.

Iran is believed to have begun transferring centrifuges and other sensitive equipment from nuclear facilities damaged in recent strikes into the underground complex. While there is still no confirmed evidence that uranium enrichment is actively taking place there, intelligence officials reportedly view the site as a potential future centerpiece of Iran’s nuclear program.

Military experts say destroying the facility would require exceptionally precise intelligence identifying the exact locations of centrifuges and underground chambers. Even the most powerful bunker-busting bombs could fail to eliminate the site’s critical infrastructure without highly accurate targeting.

The United States remains the only military believed capable of carrying out such an operation, relying on B-2 bombers and GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-buster bombs. Reports indicate that the U.S. used 14 of its estimated stockpile of about 20 GBU-57 bombs during the strike on Fordow, meaning another operation of similar scale could require replenishing inventory and extensive logistical preparations.

The central dilemma facing Washington and Jerusalem is timing. A strike launched before the facility becomes fully operational may have limited impact on Iran’s nuclear program, while waiting too long could allow Tehran to activate one of its most hardened enrichment sites.

Recent satellite imagery also reportedly shows Iran reinforcing tunnel entrances and surrounding infrastructure in an effort to ensure continued access to the facility even after an aerial bombardment and to complicate any potential ground operation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)