Israel says Iran moved centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain tunnels: WSJ

Israeli intelligence services have concluded that Iran relocated thousands of nuclear centrifuges to an underground tunnel system beneath Pickaxe Mountain last autumn, according to a report published Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal. The transfer occurred following the 12-day war in June when American and Israeli forces conducted extensive airstrikes targeting Iran's three primary nuclear facilities, the newspaper reported, noting that the subterranean complex extends between 300 and 450 feet beneath solid rock.

US threats

Trump told reporters Tuesday that the United States would be "hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily" in response to reports of centrifuge transfers, according to the Journal. The president's remarks came as US forces intensified operations over the past ten days, the newspaper noted, adding that Washington has monitored the site for years despite limited intelligence on internal activities. The WSJ reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attempted to convince Trump to authorize comprehensive strikes against Iran to disrupt weapons programs and reconstruction efforts, stating: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to persuade President Trump to resume all-out attacks on Iran to further set back Tehran's weapons programs and rebuilding effort."

Nuclear monitoring

Israeli and American officials expressed concern that Tehran could reconstitute its nuclear program using the hidden equipment, even as Iranian negotiators engage in discussions regarding a potential nuclear arms accord. The WSJ noted that the centrifuge placement "doesn't necessarily mean Iran is building an enrichment site there ... Tehran may have put its surviving centrifuges there to minimize their risk of destruction," though the tunnel system was commissioned as an underground replacement for a centrifuge-assembly facility destroyed in a 2020 explosion.

Iran has denied the International Atomic Energy Agency access to Pickaxe Mountain since 2021, and neither Tehran's foreign ministry nor the IAEA responded to inquiries regarding the latest allegations. The complex — known locally as Mount Kolang and located near one of Iran's main nuclear installations — presents significant challenges for aerial bombardment due to its depth and reinforced structure, according to the report.