As the threat of a nuclear war between the United States and Iran keeps growing, US President Donald Trump has stated his country would strike at Pickaxe Mountain, a highly fortified site near the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz in Tehran, sometime soon.
Trump attacked in the operations statement in the US that they will be targeting a “strategic location pretty soon. Pickaxe Mountain is thought to have tunnel complexes that go deep into the mountain and are connected with Iran’s nuclear program. Its level of protection is such that it’s thought to withstand even the most potent bunker-busting weapons in the U.S. arsenal.
Iran stepped up its military advocacy in the Strait of Hormuz, trying to sink a commercial tanker early Tuesday, when the announcement was made. It was a violent attack that caused the ship’s crew to flee, sparking new fears on ships in one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes.
The latest are on the heels of ten consecutive nights of US airstrikes against Iranian targets. But Tehran has sought to hold on to its presence in the Strait of Hormuz, a passage through the Persian Gulf that is a major route for the world’s trade in crude oil and natural gas, especially at peace time.
The current conflict has raised concerns over the potential escalation of further disruptions to energy supplies worldwide and a potential large-scale regional conflict. Washington is ratcheting up its military pressure on Iran, and so far, Tehran has done nothing to relent on its front, which shows the stand between the two sides for the strategic waterway is far from concluded.