President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could soon strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, placing the heavily fortified underground complex near Natanz on a list of potential military targets. The site, buried beneath granite at depths of up to 2,000 feet, is believed to lie beyond the reach of the most powerful bunker-buster bombs in the U.S. arsenal.
Trump accused Tehran of walking away from negotiations after a deal appeared within reach and pledged to reimpose a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Persian Gulf, while saying passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be kept open for a fee. Iran's foreign ministry said a June memorandum of understanding is now in "crisis," and Tehran is mediating through Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman to prevent further escalation.
Trump claimed to know the whereabouts of Iran's new leadership and asserted that Iran's conventional military capabilities had been largely destroyed.