Israeli intelligence: Iran moved centrifuges to deep Pickaxe Mountain tunnels

The Wall Street Journal, citing US and Israeli officials, has reported that Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges into deep tunnels at the Pickaxe Mountain site last autumn—a move the newspaper said has heightened concerns about Tehran’s ability to rebuild its nuclear program.

According to the officials, Israel shared this intelligence with the United States, indicating that the transfer of centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain took place last autumn, following the 12-day war in June 2025, during which the US and Israel carried out heavy strikes on Iran’s three main nuclear facilities.

Pickaxe Mountain is located 220 kilometers south of Tehran and about two kilometers from the Natanz nuclear complex, which houses two of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities. The site was targeted during the current conflict as well as the 12-day war.

The Institute for Science and International Security, a US-based think tank specializing in nuclear nonproliferation, stated that the facility at Pickaxe Mountain, which remains under construction, was not targeted in either conflict.

The Wall Street Journal noted that widening gaps between US and Israeli objectives in the conflict with Iran prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge US President Donald Trump to resume a comprehensive offensive against Iran, aiming to inflict further damage on its weapons development and reconstruction efforts.

The newspaper added that the US has intensified its attacks on Iran over the past ten days, citing Trump’s statements earlier in July in which he hinted at the possibility of targeting Pickaxe Mountain.

There has been no comment from Iran’s foreign minister or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in response to requests for comment, while the White House referred the newspaper to Trump’s interviews.

In a July 13 interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt, Trump described Pickaxe Mountain as a “potential target for a major, massive strike”—his first direct statement identifying the site, after previously referring to an Iranian facility located underground in granite rock.

The site is known in Iran as Mount Kolang and has been under US and Israeli surveillance for years. Available information suggests it could pose a challenge to any airstrike operations.

Located near Natanz, the site was built as an underground alternative to an Iranian centrifuge assembly facility that suffered major damage after an explosion in 2020, which is believed to have been the result of sabotage.

The Institute for Science and International Security noted that activity at the site has continued steadily over the past 15 months, including truck movements, tunnel reinforcements, the establishment of a security perimeter, and work around an older tunnel network dating back to 2007, which Iran later closed.

Institute president David Albright said it is likely Iran has moved centrifuges into the Pickaxe Mountain tunnels.

Experts estimate the underground complex extends 300 to 450 feet (about 90 to 137 meters) beneath solid rock, with enough space to accommodate several nuclear-related facilities.

Experts also believe the depth of the complex puts it beyond the reach of even the most powerful US bunker-buster bombs.