Trump Says U.S. ‘Not Finished’ With Iran, Picks Pickaxe Mountain for Next Strike

During a brief meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House, former President Donald Trump made it crystal clear that America’s campaign against Iran is far from over. When a reporter mentioned a Wall Street Journal story saying Israeli intel thinks Tehran moved thousands of advanced centrifuges into the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz, Trump didn’t shy away.

“I think they may have done that,” he said, pausing before adding, “but those centrifuges don’t do anything without the right nuclear material. They don’t have it. We’re watching the material, that’s where the action is.”

He went on, almost as a promise, “We’ll be hitting that area pretty soon. There’s not a thing they can do about it.” The former commander‑in‑chief stressed that, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t make such a statement unless he believed the U.S. could actually follow through.

Pickaxe Mountain – buried deep beneath the Natanz complex – has become a hot spot for U.S. and Israeli concerns because of its reinforced tunnels and the mystery surrounding what might be hidden there. While inspectors have long asked for more access, Tehran has kept the site tightly sealed, fueling speculation that it could house undeclared nuclear activities.

Trump warned Tehran that any attempt to rebuild a nuclear capability would simply invite more American fire. “They’re trying to reconstitute a site? We’ll hit that site…any site where they’re even thinking about nuclear, we’ll be hitting it very, very powerfully,” he said.

He also tried to put a timeline on the damage. “If we left right now, it would take Iran 20 to 25 years to rebuild,” Trump said. “We’re not finished at all… we’re not leaving right now.” The message was unmistakable: the U.S. will stay the course.

When asked whether Washington might slide back into diplomacy, Trump dismissed the notion. “They want to meet because they’re getting decimated,” he retorted. “Until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announced a fresh wave of strikes targeting Iranian missile and drone facilities, command centers, maritime assets, and air‑defense systems – all part of a broader effort to choke Tehran’s ability to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’re degrading them at levels nobody thought possible,” Trump said, noting that the focus is on tracking nuclear material rather than just centrifuges or concrete.

He closed with a final warning: “If we left today, it would take them decades to rebuild. I don’t believe they could ever rebuild. Honestly, they haven’t seen anything yet. We’ve been nice.”