Iran Relocates Thousands of Uranium Centrifuges to Underground Pickaxe Mountain Facility

Israeli intelligence has assessed that Iran moved thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges into a heavily fortified underground complex known as Pickaxe Mountain (Mount Kolang) near the Natanz nuclear site during the autumn following the June 2025 conflict.

The assessment was passed to the United States, and President Donald Trump has publicly identified the site as a possible target for a large-scale strike, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s calls for renewed US attacks to hinder Iran’s nuclear program. The United States has heightened its military campaign in the region, while Iran has refused IAEA access and offered no comment on the relocation.

Analysts warn that any future strike on the deep‑buried facility would raise questions about strike effectiveness and could further elevate market and regional security risks.