Published September 4th, 2026 - 22:12 GMT
ALBAWABA – US President Donald Trump has suggested that Washington might soon attack Iran’s heavily guarded Pickaxe Mountain site near the Natanz nuclear plant, while minimizing the scope of the fight with Tehran as a “simple” military clash for the United States.Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that Washington was not involved in a massive battle with Iran.“Many people don’t call it a war,” Trump remarked, describing it as a military conflict that was “a simple matter for us” and “not a big deal.”His statements followed similar remarks by Vise President JD Vance, who stated that the combat should not currently be regarded as a war because active large-scale warfare had ceased.Trump Targets Heavily Fortified Mountain Site in IranTrump played down the war, but left open the possibility of another big U.S. strike, this time at Pickaxe Mountain.Trump said he knew all of Iran's movements and was hitting them hard when asked about the potential of attacking the site.Pickaxe Mountain, near the wrecked Natanz uranium enrichment facility, is supposedly home to two deeply buried tunnel systems and is believed to be well guarded.Trump also stated that the US military now controls the Strait of Hormuz and that the crucial waterway has been cleaned of mines. He said the strait is losing importance with the development of new oil routes and pipelines across the Middle East. Washington Vows to ‘Strangle’ Iran EconomicallyAnd there is an economic campaign rising along with the military pressure.The U.S. Treasury issued sanctions against three Turkey-based companies identified as being tied to Iran and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced another bank might be subject to sanctions as soon as next week.Bessent also said Iranian oil shipments have been stranded aboard tankers and have not made it to China through the Strait of Hormuz since the naval blockade.Washington, he said, intended to keep pressing Iran financially, saying the United States will “strangle them economically.”Latest comments indicate that, while Trump has portrayed the military stand-off as a relatively small one, Washington is continuing to increase pressure on Iran across the board, from the threat of new attacks on hardened nuclear-linked sites to a more robust effort to sever Tehran from its oil revenues and international banking networks.
