Iran has resumed construction at a mysterious underground site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La or Pickaxe Mountain, despite recent US and Israeli attacks on its main nuclear facilities. Satellite imagery shows that engineers have been tunneling deep into the Zagros mountain range since 2020, sparking suspicions that Tehran may be cautiously rebuilding its suspected nuclear weapons program.
Experts estimate that the underground tunnels under Pickaxe Mountain could be even deeper than those at Iran’s Fordow facility, which was targeted by massive earth-penetrating bombs. The site’s above-ground footprint sprawls over a square mile of mountainside, with two tunnel entrances on the east and west sides. Analysts believe that Tehran is fortifying the site against possible future attack or infiltration.
The construction at Pickaxe Mountain appears to be part of an effort to harden the facility against airstrikes, with experts observing increased spoil piles and reinforced tunnel entrances. Despite Iran’s protests about potential sanctions, the country may be rebuilding its nuclear program in secret.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for diplomacy with the US, while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, has final say on nuclear matters. Analysts warn that if Iran were to enrich uranium at a high level again, the US and Israel could launch new strikes.
The damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities was significant, with reports indicating that the US and Israeli attacks destroyed or rendered inoperable all of Iran’s almost 22,000 centrifuges at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. However, experts caution against assuming Tehran would simply seek to rebuild all its facilities at the same size and scope.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/26/iran-underground-nuclear-us