What is Pickaxe Mountain, Iran's underground nuclear site?

Little is known about the place near Iran's nuclear complex, but experts think it is buried deep inside a mountain.

Published 22 July 2026 171 words
WORLD A2
What is Pickaxe Mountain, Iran's underground nuclear site?

The US president, Donald Trump, is again talking about attacking Iran's nuclear sites. This is happening during a time of more conflict between the two countries.

Trump said his country will stop Iran from having nuclear weapons. He also said they would attack an area called Pickaxe Mountain soon. This place is linked to Iran's nuclear programme and is built underground.

Pickaxe Mountain is near Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, about 220km south of Tehran. It is thought to be buried nearly 100 metres inside a mountain. Experts believe construction started in 2020 after an explosion at the Natanz site.

Iran is building a new, larger site inside the mountain to make advanced machines called centrifuges. These machines help make nuclear fuel. It is not clear if the site is working yet, but Iran is making its entrances stronger to make it harder to attack.

Vocabulary

nuclear site — A place where equipment for nuclear energy or weapons is kept or made.
conflict — A serious disagreement or argument, often involving fighting.
programme — A plan of activities or tasks, like making nuclear weapons.
facility — A place where a particular job is done, like making nuclear fuel.
centrifuges — Machines that spin very fast to separate things, used here to make nuclear fuel.
entranccess — The way in or out of a place.

Discussion Questions

  1. What is Pickaxe Mountain?
  2. Where is Pickaxe Mountain located?
  3. When did construction at Pickaxe Mountain start?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

Read the original article