Why Is ‘Pick X Mountain’at Center of US-Iran Tensions?
News Desk
Washington: Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, US President Donald Trump has threatened to target a highly secured and secretive Iranian nuclear facility located inside what he referred to as “Pick X Mountain,” claiming the site is under close surveillance.
Speaking on the “Hugh Hewitt Show” on Monday, Trump said the United States was preparing to strike the facility, warning Iran to “get ready” for a possible attack.
“We are watching this place very closely. Right now, we don’t see any movement there,” Trump said, adding that whenever Washington receives information about Iran’s nuclear activities, “we take care of it.” He claimed Iran’s nuclear capabilities had suffered setbacks due to previous US strikes but warned that the mountain facility could soon become a target.
The mountain, locally identified as Koh-e Kalang Ghazla, is located near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex, one of the country’s most important nuclear sites. Unlike conventional facilities, the site is believed to consist of a network of tunnels built deep underground, making it significantly harder to penetrate through airstrikes.
Experts say the underground construction has raised concerns that Iran may have moved sensitive nuclear activities deeper beneath the surface to protect them from possible attacks.
Sebastian Walker, a producer and reporter for a documentary examining previous US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, said recent developments have revived questions over whether military action has pushed Iran’s nuclear programme further underground.
Satellite imagery has reportedly shown reinforced tunnel entrances at the mountain site, with layers of earth and rock added as protection against aerial attacks.
When questioned about activity at the site, Iran’s former Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani denied that any unusual work was taking place, saying the country had not even cleared debris from previous strikes and could consider restarting operations in the future.
Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that the facility is linked to the production and assembly of components for civilian nuclear energy projects.
However, international experts have expressed doubts about the purpose of such a heavily fortified underground complex.
Spencer Frantzman, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), said the organisation had been monitoring the site since construction began in 2020.
According to his analysis, Iran had initially described the facility as a location for assembling centrifuges, but the scale and expansion of the project suggested it could potentially support broader nuclear activities, including centrifuge manufacturing, assembly and uranium enrichment.
The facility has become a major focus of international concern, particularly as questions remain over Iran’s nuclear transparency and access for international inspectors.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that continued restrictions on inspectors’ access to nuclear sites could increase uncertainty and fuel fears that undeclared nuclear activities may be taking place.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise, Pick X Mountain has emerged as one of the most closely watched nuclear sites in the world, with its underground design making it a potential flashpoint in the ongoing confrontation. Additional input from national media.
