How Trump could unleash double-tap bomb tactic to finally obliterate Iran’s underground nuclear compound

DONALD Trump could unleash an incredible double-tap technique to blow Iran’s “invincible” 300ft deep nuclear base to smithereens. Pickaxe Mountain, where Tehran is said to be hiding stockpiles of near weapons-grade uranium, may face Washington’s wrath in the coming weeks. Satellite pictures have revealed a soaring uptick in construction activity at Pickaxe Mountain Credit: Reuters Shrouded in secrecy, the heavily fortified bunker is feared to be where Tehran is constructing an indestructible atomic plant under 300ft of solid granite. To wipe out the compound and potentially pull the plug on the regime’s nuclear ambitions, Washington’s best bet for the job is its GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! But this menacing bunker-buster bomb – which was used for the first time in history only last year – has a maximum strike depth of 200ft, meaning it will be short by 100ft. It is feared the bomb alone may not be enough to decimate the Iranian nuclear site – which experts say has an Achilles’ heel. The US used MOPs during the 12-day war in 2025 Credit: Unpixs Trump has threatened to blitz the base several times Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Spencer Faragasso, an expert at the Institute for Science and International Security, said there are two critical weakpoints the US could exploit to annihilate the base. He pointed out a pair of ventilation holes which Washington could look to zero in on if it wants the best chance of obliterating the reinforced facility. Faragasso told The Sun: “We’ve identified two possible ventilation shafts that could be targeted by deep-earth penetrating weapons such as the GBU-57 MOP.” He said these points, if struck precisely in quick succession, would “enable the weapons to get deeper into the mountain to potentially destroy the facility itself”. Most read in The Sun New satellite pics have shown the increase in construction Credit: SkyFi/CSIS B-2 Spirit drops a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb (stock) Credit: USAF The expert continued: “One or multiple weapons would follow the other, so you can drop two or three down the same hole, to basically dig deeper into the facility to try to destroy it.” Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified site with two pairs of entrances which lead to two deeply buried tunnel complexes. Known in Farsi as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, the suspected nuclear lab is situated just 2km south of the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. It remained untouched by US-Israeli strikes during the 12-day war in June 2025. Israel believes Tehran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges deep inside Pickaxe Mountain shortly after the targeted bombing campaign of nuclear sites that summer. Centrifuges are advanced machines used to create enriched uranium – which can be used to make both reactor fuel for civilian use but also for nuclear bombs. Enriched uranium suitable for atomic weapons needs to be above a 90 per cent purity threshold. Last week, experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said satellites had revealed more activity at Pickaxe Mountain in 2026 “than at any point in the site’s history”. Their analysis showed how construction speed shot up over the last year and that Tehran had thrown up a new ring of steel around the fortress. Policy Director at United Against Nuclear Iran Jason Brodsky told The Sun: “There are some fears it could be the site of any covert attempt by the Iranian regime to break out towards a nuclear weapon.” Trump has repeatedly threatened to blitz the base in recent weeks. He warned earlier this month: “We may hit Pickaxe Mountain very soon… if there is anything going on with Pickaxe.” The US leader also said on Thursday he was at a crossroads over whether to restart attacks on Iran – hinting that he could hit the base. “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?” he told Axios. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.” Iran has consistently denied allegations that it is storing near-weapons grade uranium in Pickaxe Mountain. The regime’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on July 22: “No nuclear activity is taking place at Pickaxe Mountain.” But experts say the mountain is big enough to host uranium-enrichment machines. Faragasso added: “We have assessed that the facility is likely large enough to hold not only a centrifuge assembly facility, but an enrichment plant and possibly in the future components related to nuclear weapons.” The analyst also said the fortress’s entrances may be a weak point the US could look to exploit. “The tunnel entrances could be collapsed by hitting them with the bunker- busting weapons,” he said. But hitting the entrances would only be a temporary solution, the expert warned. “It would halt Iran‘s ability to gain access into the facility, effectively sealing it, whereas the ultimate goal is to either destroy the facility or have Iran dismantle the facility themselves,” he said. Trump may start to mull unleashing his weapons on the base in just weeks, Brodsky said. The expert said the US president will probably wait until after the midterm elections to decide on the attacks. Another factor which may push his finger closer to the trigger will be if US intelligence confirms Tel Aviv’s claim that nuclear centrifuges are being stored at Pickaxe Mountain. He said: “If the US confirms intelligence [reports of centrifuges being moved into the base], that would definitely move them closer to the trigger for military action against that facility.” The expert added: “I think what destroying Pickaxe Mountain would do would be to further degrade the Iranian nuclear programme and its remaining infrastructure, and that would prevent it from rebuilding.” Construction of Pickaxe Mountain kicked off in fall 2020. At the time, Iran claimed its underground halls were to be used as a replacement for a destroyed centrifuge assembly site at Natanz. But if Trump decides to unleash his MOPs with a double-tap tactic – it could spell the end of the elusive facility. Comment now