PTC Web Desk: The war between the United States and Iran is heating up again. One place is now at the centre of it all: a mountain hideout Iran calls a factory and the US calls a threat.

US President Donald Trump says American forces could soon strike a deeply buried Iranian facility known as Pickaxe Mountain. He made the comment during a radio interview, warning Iran to "be ready."

What is Pickaxe Mountain?

Pickaxe Mountain sits close to Natanz, one of Iran's main nuclear sites, in the Zagros Mountains. It's not just another building, but carved deep into rock. It is reported under as much as 600 metre of granite. That makes it one of the hardest nuclear-related sites in Iran to reach, let alone destroy.

Construction is believed to have started around 2020. Iran says it's simply a plant for assembling centrifuges. But international inspectors have never been allowed inside, which has fueled suspicion that it could be used for something more sensitive, like uranium enrichment.

Why is Trump talking about it now?

Pickaxe Mountain wasn't one of the three nuclear sites the US bombed back in June 2025. But that may be about to change.

"We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready," Trump said on The Hugh Hewitt Show. He added that the US hasn't seen recent activity at the site but is watching it closely.

Some satellite images have reportedly shown trucks moving in and out of the facility, raising questions about whether Iran is trying to rebuild or reinforce it.

Where does the conflict stand?

This isn't happening in isolation. It comes during the third straight night of US airstrikes on Iranian territory, aimed at military targets like coastal defenses, missile systems, and naval assets.

Iran, in turn, has reported explosions across several southern regions, including Kish Island, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas, and Jam. Local reports mention injuries in the Khuzestan province, along with boats catching fire near Kish Island's port after the strikes.

Tensions have also spilled into the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments. The US has reimposed a naval blockade there, and Iran has responded with its own attacks in the region.

Could there still be a deal?

Despite everything, Trump hasn't shut the door on diplomacy. Speaking from the Oval Office, he said a deal to end the war with Iran was "certainly possible" , even while the strikes continue.

For now, though, all eyes remain on Pickaxe Mountain, and whether it becomes the next flashpoint in a conflict that keeps escalating.