Trump: ‘We’ll destroy Pickaxe Mountain in 10 minutes’

Qatari negotiators held 12 hours of talks in Tehran on Saturday to prevent renewed hostilities.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump said the United States could potentially destroy a key site in Iran’s nuclear program in a matter of minutes, following a phone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the possibility of renewed American strikes on the Islamic Republic, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Speaking to guests at a Halloween party in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, Trump reportedly said that efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program were nearing completion, but that one or two remaining sites could still be targeted.

“We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes,” the Journal reported Trump as saying. “You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that.”

Pickaxe Mountain, located south of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, is a heavily fortified underground site believed to house critical elements of the country’s nuclear program, including centrifuges. Its location and fortifications have made it a focus of concern over Iran’s nuclear activities and the potential challenges involved in targeting the facility.

Trump also said that negotiations with Iran were “going fine,” while describing Tehran as “not very reliable.”

Earlier on Saturday, Trump reportedly spoke with Netanyahu regarding the potential renewal of the war on Iran.

The remarks came as diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed outbreak of fighting continued. Qatari negotiators held marathon 12-hour talks in Tehran on Saturday, seeking to avert a return to hostilities between Washington and Tehran — a possibility that has appeared increasingly likely in recent weeks.

Trump and senior officials in his administration have sent mixed signals about whether the United States intends to resume open military action against Iran.

Washington has reportedly warned its Middle Eastern allies, particularly Gulf countries, to prepare for the possibility of a short but intense conflict between the United States and Iran in the near future.

Several Gulf states host American military bases and other US military assets. During Operation Epic Fury, Iran launched attacks against countries in the region, striking military targets as well as civilian infrastructure, including airports and oil refineries.