Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that diplomatic talks with Iran are progressing. However, he renewed sharp threats to target Iran’s highly fortified “Pickaxe Mountain” facility. He also threatened transport bridges and electricity infrastructure if a final treaty fails to materialize.
Trump noted he is navigating a delicate balance to minimize civilian infrastructure damage. The White House maintains a dominant position, warning that Iran cannot violate agreements any longer. This statement follows nearly two weeks of intensive, consecutive nightly American bombardments targeting deep across southern and western Iran.
The president brushed off Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned briefing regarding the hidden site. Trump stated he does not require the prime minister’s input because U.S. intelligence tracks it closely. Western intelligence agencies estimate that thousands of advanced centrifuges were recently moved deep inside the granite complex.
The mysterious facility, located in the Isfahan province near the Natanz enrichment hub, is buried up to 600 meters underground. Analysts report the mountain’s intense fortifications are designed to withstand heavy, 12-ton conventional bunker-buster munitions. The escalating rhetoric has prompted hardline factions in Tehran to demand a formal withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Meanwhile, Iran announced strict new transit regulations encompassing the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway. The Joint Military Command prohibited any nation or shipping firm utilizing frozen Iranian assets from transiting the chokepoint. This blockade targets foreign regulators executing court orders to liquidate frozen state funds to compensate for damaged vessels.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed close tactical cooperation between the allied nations during a televised broadcast. He stated that U.S. warplanes are actively utilizing domestic Israeli airbases to launch strikes into Iranian territory. Katz observed that while Iran is firing at various regional hubs, it is conspicuously avoiding targeting Israel directly.
