Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has directed his forces to deliver a befitting response to any attack by Israel or the United States, regardless of its nature or scale. His remarks drew a sharp rebuke from US President Donald Trump.
Trump said Washington has already destroyed much of Iran’s nuclear capability and that only two targets remain. He claimed the US could eliminate what is left within 10 minutes if it chose to, and confirmed that Pickaxe Mountain is among the intended targets. While acknowledging that talks with Tehran are under way, he said he could never trust Iran’s leaders.
Responding to repeated questions about the timing of possible strikes, Trump dismissed them as foolish. “If I were planning to attack today, would I announce it to everyone?” he asked.
Pickaxe Mountain, known locally as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, lies in Iran’s Zagros range, about two kilometres from the Natanz nuclear complex. Israeli intelligence had earlier assessed that Iran may have shifted centrifuges for its nuclear programme to the site. The US believes nuclear activity there is continuing, and Trump has threatened to target it for some time. Iran has warned that any US strike on the facility would further escalate tensions across West Asia.