U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the United States may need to launch an attack on the Pickaxe mountain area—a heavily fortified site linked to Iran's nuclear program—to ensure that Tehran cannot produce or acquire nuclear weapons, according to a report by Reuters news agency on October 16, 2026.
In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday night, Trump said the U.S. wants to ensure Iran never possesses nuclear weapons, because if the country obtains such weapons, they will inevitably be used.
Trump stated: "Their nuclear program is buried beneath mountains with millions of tons of rock. Now, we are looking at the Pickaxe mountain area. We may need to go and strike that site. We will hit it and destroy it quickly."
The Pickaxe mountain is reported to be a heavily fortified site located deep underground near one of Iran's major nuclear facilities. The location has drawn attention for its significance to Tehran's nuclear program due to its deeply buried underground construction, which makes air strikes considerably more difficult.
However, Trump clarified that he has no intention of using nuclear weapons against Iran. He said: "I will not use nuclear weapons. We don't need to use them." He also reiterated that he is not considering sending U.S. ground troops into Iran.
At the same time, Trump did not confirm whether he had authorized the use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb—commonly known as the "Mother of All Bombs"—to strike Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. He merely clarified that the MOAB bomb is not a nuclear weapon.
Earlier, CNN reported on October 14, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with military planning, that the U.S. military has prepared new strike options. These options could include the use of MOAB bombs against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if Trump orders a resumption of combat operations before or after the U.S. midterm elections.
According to CNN, the plan also raised the possibility of targeting the underground facility at Pickaxe mountain. However, some officials familiar with the military planning discussions expressed skepticism over whether the MOAB bomb would be effective enough to destroy targets located deep underground. While the bomb causes massive surface destruction, its effectiveness against deeply buried underground targets remains questionable.
Trump's latest remarks indicate that the possibility of striking Iranian nuclear sites remains under consideration by the U.S. military. However, as of the time of reporting, there has been no confirmation that Trump has issued an order to strike Pickaxe mountain or approved the use of MOAB bombs.
