The US-Iran conflict is escalating by the day. Anticipating that the United States and Israel might jointly launch fierce strikes on Iran at any moment, Iran had already drawn up a master plan in advance. To safeguard its nuclear assets, the Iranian military has reportedly put into action an unexpected strategy. As part of this, thousands of nuclear centrifuges are said to have been secretly relocated to an impregnable underground complex known as Pickaxe Mountain, located near the Natanz region. Built by hollowing out solid granite rock at a depth of over 300 feet, this facility has now become a major challenge for American and Israeli security agencies, since it is believed to be impossible to destroy using conventional bombs or missiles.
Last June, and more recently in February 2026, the United States and Israel jointly carried out airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities. However, since the Pickaxe complex is built beneath the mountains, it sustained no damage. Upon reviewing satellite imagery, intelligence agencies identified extensive construction activity and continuous truck movement near these mountains over the past 15 months. Officials believe that as strikes on other, more exposed facilities increased, Iran shifted its most critical uranium enrichment equipment to this safe zone. However, the Iranian government has so far not granted IAEA inspectors permission to directly examine the actual scale of nuclear activity taking place inside the Pickaxe underground fortress. Iran had previously indicated that it intends to resume nuclear research at this site. Yet there is no evidence available regarding the extent of uranium enrichment occurring there. With no international inspections taking place, Western nations fear deeply that Iran may be secretly producing uranium at the level required for nuclear weapons.
Experts from the United States and other countries have expressed concern over this secret facility. Adding to this, US President Donald Trump has issued a warning specifically targeting the Pickaxe complex, cautioning that large-scale strikes on this site would follow soon. However, Iran has denied the allegations surrounding this nuclear fortress, maintaining that its nuclear program is intended solely for electricity generation, medical research, and other civilian purposes, and that weapons production is not its objective. Regardless, these developments are seen as potentially pushing the situation toward a third world war.