Tehran’s top joint military command threatened a broad response after President Donald Trump said the United States could soon strike the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain complex.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran warned Tuesday that any U.S. attack on its nuclear facilities or other sensitive sites would lead to retaliatory strikes against American interests, allied governments and countries supporting Washington’s military campaign.
The threat was issued by Iran’s Khatem al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s highest joint military command, in a statement carried by Iranian state media and published on Telegram.
Iranian military officials said an American strike against protected nuclear or strategic facilities would expand the scope of the war and expose a wider group of regional and international targets to retaliation.
“The criminal United States has threatened to attack the nuclear and sensitive centers of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the command said.
If Washington follows through, “all interests of the United States, its allies and the supporters of that rogue and evil country will be targeted in a powerful assault” by Iran’s armed forces, the statement said.
The warning followed remarks from President Donald Trump indicating that the United States could soon launch a major attack against the Pickaxe Mountain area, an underground complex associated with Iran’s nuclear program.
“We’ll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon,” Trump said. “There’s not a thing they can do about it. You know, normally I wouldn’t say that. If I thought they could do something about it, I would never say that. But we’ll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily.”
Pickaxe Mountain, known in Iran as Mount Kolang, is a deeply buried complex near the Natanz nuclear facility. The site has drawn increased attention amid reports that Iran may have transferred uranium-enrichment centrifuges into fortified tunnels beneath the mountain.
Trump said U.S. officials believe Iran “may have” placed centrifuges at the site but acknowledged that the government had not confirmed the claim conclusively.
“We don’t have it on record,” Trump said.
The president also distinguished between the presence of enrichment equipment and possession of the uranium needed for nuclear production.
Even if centrifuges were stored inside the complex, Trump said, “it doesn’t mean anything unless they have the [nuclear] material.”
He added that the United States does not believe Iran currently has the necessary material at Pickaxe Mountain.
Centrifuges are used to enrich uranium by increasing the concentration of uranium-235. The machines alone cannot produce nuclear material without a supply of uranium feedstock, but their installation at a concealed and hardened facility could allow Iran to restore enrichment capacity after attacks on other sites.
Iran’s warning did not identify specific American bases, allied countries or other targets that could be struck in response to a U.S. attack.
The reference to nations supporting Washington appeared designed to place pressure on governments that provide military access, logistical assistance, airspace, intelligence or political backing for American operations.
U.S. forces maintain bases and other military facilities throughout the Middle East, including in countries within range of Iranian missiles and drones.
Iran has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to target military installations, shipping routes and regional infrastructure using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and one-way attack drones.
A strike on Pickaxe Mountain could therefore lead Tehran to expand attacks beyond the immediate nuclear conflict and target locations associated with the broader U.S. military presence.
The Iranian statement characterized an attack on nuclear facilities as a major escalation rather than a continuation of existing operations.
Trump’s remarks suggested the administration is considering further action despite uncertainty about what equipment or material is currently inside the site.
The president expressed confidence that Iran could not prevent or meaningfully answer a heavy American strike against the mountain.
Iran’s military command responded by asserting that the consequences would extend to U.S. partners and supporters rather than remain confined to the targeted facility.
The exchange increases pressure surrounding Pickaxe Mountain, which has not been confirmed as an operational enrichment site.
Its location beneath substantial layers of rock makes it considerably more difficult to damage than conventional surface facilities.
An attack would likely require specialized munitions, repeated strikes or a broader operation designed to collapse entrances, destroy ventilation systems or prevent equipment inside from being used.
The lack of verified access to the complex has also left uncertainty about whether centrifuges are being stored, assembled or operated there.
Trump said the United States believes Iran does not possess the nuclear material needed to make any centrifuges at the site immediately consequential.
His comments nevertheless indicated that the possible transfer of equipment alone could be enough to place Pickaxe Mountain on the U.S. target list.
Iran’s response attempted to raise the potential cost of that decision by threatening military action against a wider range of countries and interests.
The warning did not establish whether Tehran has already selected targets or issued operational orders to its forces.
It did, however, signal that Iran would treat a strike on its nuclear infrastructure as justification for a major expansion of its retaliation.
The confrontation now centers on both the physical contents of the underground facility and the risk that an attempt to destroy it could widen the war across the region.
The United States has not announced a date for an attack, and Trump’s statement left open the possibility that the administration could change course.
His assertion that Pickaxe Mountain would “very probably” be struck “pretty soon” and “very heavily,” however, represented one of his clearest public warnings regarding the site.
Iran’s military command answered with an equally direct threat that American interests and supporting nations would face a “powerful assault” if the strike occurs.
Whether either side follows through will determine if the dispute over the underground complex remains a threat or becomes the trigger for another major escalation in the war.
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