Jolyon@jolyon

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Trump and Hegseth at table

Six years of satellite imagery analyzed by CSIS shows a clear surge in construction at the Iranian nuclear facility called Pickaxe Mountain. This site sits beneath solid granite near Natanz, about 140 miles south of Tehran, with activity happening more than 300 feet underground. U.S. airstrikes previously left the location untouched because it was not yet operational when those strikes occurred. Donald Trump stated that attacks on the facility may occur soon, noting specifically we may hit Pickaxe very soon. The Pentagon's current heaviest non-nuclear munition faces significant resistance from the granite barrier protecting the complex. The U.S. is developing next-generation bunker busters with prototype contracts awarded in September 2025 to address this problem. There is a possibility these new weapons will not be ready before Iran completes its work.

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Jolyon@jolyon

Follow

Trump and Hegseth at table

Six years of satellite imagery analyzed by CSIS shows a clear surge in construction at the Iranian nuclear facility called Pickaxe Mountain. This site sits beneath solid granite near Natanz, about 140 miles south of Tehran, with activity happening more than 300 feet underground. U.S. airstrikes previously left the location untouched because it was not yet operational when those strikes occurred. Donald Trump stated that attacks on the facility may occur soon, noting specifically we may hit Pickaxe very soon. The Pentagon's current heaviest non-nuclear munition faces significant resistance from the granite barrier protecting the complex. The U.S. is developing next-generation bunker busters with prototype contracts awarded in September 2025 to address this problem. There is a possibility these new weapons will not be ready before Iran completes its work.

1d