Trump vows to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain as US raids intensify

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will destroy the underground facility known as Pickaxe Mountain near Iran’s Natanz uranium‑enrichment plant, saying, “We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready.” He added that the site is being watched closely and that a strike could come “relatively soon.” Trump also reinstated a blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and said the Strait of Hormuz would remain open for a fee, promising “we’ll hit them very hard tonight and we’ll hit them hard tomorrow.”

The United States carried out a third consecutive night of air raids on Iranian military targets in the Hormuz region, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for missile attacks on two super‑tankers transiting the strait, killing an Indian crew member and wounding eight others, including six Indians and two Ukrainians. Trump said the U.S. would seek reimbursement from Gulf states for protecting the “rich part of the world.” The escalating exchange raises concerns over regional security and global oil supplies.