A site in Iran known as Pickaxe Mountain, speculated to be a critical military or nuclear facility, has become a focal point of discussion following remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump about potentially bombing it.
Analysts suggest that the site's location and design may offer significant protection from aerial assault. The core of the facility is estimated by some experts to be buried approximately 100 meters (328 feet) underground. This depth surpasses that of Iran's known nuclear enrichment complexes at Fordo and Natanz, which the U.S. previously targeted with bunker-buster bombs.
The GBU-57, a type of U.S. bunker-buster bomb, weighs approximately 13,000 kilograms (30,000 pounds) and is designed to penetrate up to 18 meters (60 feet) of concrete or 61 meters (200 feet) of earth before detonation. IMAGE2
Despite the capabilities of such munitions, experts believe that completely destroying Pickaxe Mountain would be extremely difficult due to its depth and the potentially complex, unknown layout of its underground chambers. Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow specializing in Iran at the University of South Florida, stated that obliterating every underground section would be a formidable challenge.
However, Mahmoudian added that targeting supporting infrastructure, such as tunnel entrances, communication systems, and access roads, could effectively paralyze the facility's operations, even if its deepest levels remain intact. Another analyst, Faragasso, suggested that targeting ventilation shafts could allow weapons to penetrate deeper, and bunker-buster weapons could be used to collapse tunnel portals.
Satellite imagery of the site reveals access roads leading to tunnel entrances, with some images showing trucks near these openings, indicating ongoing activity. IMAGE3 IMAGE4 IMAGE10 IMAGE11 IMAGE8 IMAGE3
The facility features at least four tunnel entrances, two on the western side and two on the eastern side, surrounded by a security perimeter. IMAGE6 IMAGE9 IMAGE12 IMAGE1