The Biz Reporter
WASHINGTON: Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has claimed that US President Donald Trump is facing intense pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider a nuclear strike on Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain facility, although there is no verified evidence that the Trump administration is contemplating the use of nuclear weapons.
In a commentary published on Sunday, Carlson alleged that Netanyahu has been pressing Trump to authorise a nuclear attack on the underground facility, located near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex, arguing that conventional weapons may be incapable of destroying its deeply buried infrastructure.
Carlson claimed that Israeli intelligence believes Iran has resumed nuclear enrichment-related activities at the site and that the Israeli Prime Minister has been urging Washington to consider a nuclear option. He suggested that a decision could emerge by November 7, although these assertions have not been independently verified.
The commentator also claimed that Trump was hesitant to take such a step and was being advised by Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, who reportedly favour pursuing a negotiated settlement with Tehran.
However, no US official has confirmed Carlson’s allegations or indicated that a nuclear strike is under consideration.
Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran’s remaining nuclear infrastructure, including Pickaxe Mountain, but his public statements have focused on conventional military options. In recent remarks, he said the United States had “one or two” Iranian nuclear-related targets remaining and could strike them within minutes.
In October, Trump explicitly ruled out using nuclear weapons in the conflict, stating, “I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to.”
Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is an underground complex situated approximately one to two kilometres south of the Natanz nuclear facility. Construction reportedly began around 2020, with Iran describing the installation as a facility for assembling advanced centrifuges.
Western assessments suggest that parts of the complex may be buried between 80 and 100 metres beneath solid rock, making it one of Iran’s most challenging nuclear-related sites to target militarily.
The depth of the facility has raised questions about the effectiveness of conventional bunker-busting weapons, including the US-made GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. However, the actual extent of the underground infrastructure and its operational status remain subjects of intelligence assessment.
Concerns that Iran may have transferred centrifuges or enriched uranium to the facility have circulated among Western intelligence analysts. However, US assessments have at times indicated limited or no confirmed activity at the site.
Diplomatic efforts are continuing alongside military threats. Vance and Witkoff have reportedly been involved in efforts to negotiate a broader settlement that would place restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said over the weekend that Trump had not made a decision on additional strikes and remained open to diplomacy.
Any further military escalation could have serious consequences for regional stability, particularly given the disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and reported attacks on commercial tankers in recent months.
Carlson has also warned that any nuclear attack on Iranian territory could result in radioactive contamination, particularly affecting the Persian Gulf region, while potentially triggering a wider international crisis. Such consequences remain hypothetical, as there is no confirmed indication of an imminent nuclear attack.
As of Monday, the Trump administration had not directly addressed Carlson’s specific allegation. Washington continues to maintain a position that combines military pressure on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure with the possibility of a diplomatic settlement.
