Iran relocated thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges to a deep underground facility inside Pickaxe Mountain last autumn, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment cited in a Wall Street Journal report on Monday, citing Israeli and American officials.
The report noted that these findings were shared with the United States and indicated that the transfer took place following the June 2025 war, during which Israeli and US strikes targeted Iran’s three primary nuclear sites.
An Israeli military official familiar with the strike operations expressed concern that the airstrikes during that campaign did not sufficiently target facilities tied to nuclear weapons development, telling WSJ that there is still work to be done, including at Pickaxe Mountain.
According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attempted to convince President Donald Trump to resume large-scale strikes in Iran to disrupt Tehran's nuclear program and reconstruction efforts.
The US has intensified its strikes over the past ten days, with Trump indicating that Washington is prepared to strike Pickaxe Mountain, a facility located about a mile south of Natanz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did not respond to requests for comment. The White House referred to interviews given by the president on the matter last week.
In one particular interview, with host Hugh Hewitt, the President hinted that Pickaxe Mountain is a possible target.
“Pickaxe is a possible target for a nice big fat shot right in the front door. And I think that maybe you'll see that," he said.