U.S. military strikes have crippled Iran's nuclear program, but one suspected facility remains beyond reach. Pickaxe Mountain, an underground site buried 2,000 feet deeper than the Fordo facility, may be impervious to America's most powerful bunker-buster bombs. Satellite images show Iran advanced construction at the site after June airstrikes destroyed three main nuclear facilities.

Experts fear Pickaxe Mountain could provide Iran a venue for producing nuclear weapons that aerial attacks cannot reach. The site's depth and fortification surpass even Fordo, which required 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrators to damage. Some Iran hawks urge risky ground missions or chemical contamination, while others argue this illustrates the impossibility of relying on force alone.

As Trump pursues negotiations with Iran, both camps agree any deal must ensure Pickaxe Mountain is permanently shut down. The facility, located near the devastated Natanz enrichment site, poses unique challenges for military action. Experts say the only realistic solution is winning Tehran's cooperation through diplomacy, as ground assaults would expose U.S. forces to Iranian defenses while attempting to survey and demolish the complex.