Updated · CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies · Sep 9
Iran Accelerates Pickaxe Mountain Construction as US Tests $1.2 Million Deep-Bunker Strike Capability
Updated
Updated · CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies · Sep 9
Iran Accelerates Pickaxe Mountain Construction as US Tests $1.2 Million Deep-Bunker Strike Capability
3 articles · Updated · CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies · Sep 9
Summary
Satellite imagery reviewed by CSIS shows Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz saw its heaviest road and reinforcement activity in 2026, with work shifting from excavation toward internal construction and hardened tunnel access.
CSIS says the granite-buried site is likely intended as a safe haven for Iran’s nuclear program, though continuous construction suggests it is not yet ready for enrichment if that is its purpose.
A $1.2 million emergency Pentagon contract signed four days before Operation Epic Fury sought rapid work at a White Sands granite test site for a live-fire test tied by sources to striking deeply buried Iranian facilities.
The push reflects a weapons gap: US officials have considered striking Pickaxe, but even the Massive Ordnance Penetrator may not reach Iran’s deepest sites, prompting work on a next-generation penetrator bomb.
As Iran buries its nuclear ambitions deeper into granite, will America's next-generation bunker-busters be ready before the facility goes fully operational?
If current weapons cannot reach Iran's deepest nuclear sites, what unconventional tactics might be deployed to collapse this heavily fortified granite stronghold?
Could the seemingly impenetrable underground fortress at Pickaxe Mountain force a dramatic shift in global military strategy if traditional airstrikes fail?
The 2026 Pickaxe Mountain Construction Surge: Iran’s Deep Nuclear Gamble and the Limits of US Military Power
Overview
After U.S. and Israeli airstrikes destroyed Iran’s aboveground nuclear facilities in June 2025, Tehran rapidly shifted its nuclear program underground at Pickaxe Mountain, reinforcing tunnels and blocking international inspectors. This secrecy left Western planners without critical intelligence, fueling fears of an unmonitored nuclear breakout and prompting calls for pre-emptive military action. However, previous U.S. bunker-buster bombs failed to destroy similar deep sites, leading to urgent development and testing of new weapons. As military strikes escalated, Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks across the region, causing casualties and economic disruption, while public support for prolonged conflict in the U.S. declined.