A senior security official in Tehran warned that Iran will respond forcefully if the United States follows through on threats to strike the underground site in the Zagros Mountains known as ‘Pickaxe Mountain.’ In an interview with CNN, the official said an American attack on the site would lead to a “devastating response” from Iran.
According to the official, Tehran will exact a price not only from the United States but also from American forces and Washington’s regional partners. “We will exact the price from American soldiers and from regional partners,” the official said, against the backdrop of growing tensions between the countries over Iranian nuclear facilities.
The warning comes after President Donald Trump threatened to strike the site, considered one of Iran’s most sensitive and deeply buried underground facilities. According to a Reuters report, Trump said the United States may act against “Pickaxe Mountain,” a fortified site near the enrichment facility at Natanz.
At the same time, the Iranian official denied American claims that “nuclear activities” are taking place at the site. According to him, these are baseless claims designed to justify military action against Iran.
“Pickaxe Mountain” has recently made headlines following reports of activity around the site and Western concerns that it serves as part of Iran’s nuclear apparatus. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) wrote in June that the site in the Natanz area includes a tunnel system and that activity around it is raising intelligence interest.
The threat from Tehran joins a series of sharp statements heard in recent days from both sides, raising fears of further escalation between Iran and the United States amid regional tensions and the ongoing confrontation over Iran’s nuclear program.