US might hit Iranian nuclear site 'soon', says Trump

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States could soon target Iran's heavily fortified underground nuclear site, codenamed Pickaxe Mountain. Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump defended the ongoing US military campaign against Iran, stating that their primary objective was to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He assured the audience that Iran would not possess a nuclear arsenal, as the US had effectively halted such efforts within five months.

Trump further warned that the US would strike Pickaxe Mountain if any suspicious activity is detected there. He emphasized that US intelligence is actively monitoring the site, keeping track of all movements within Iran. If any hostile actions occur, the US will retaliate strongly, he added.

The President highlighted that the US intervention had averted a larger regional conflict, warning that without American action, both Israel and the broader Middle East would have faced severe threats. Trump argued that by stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon in just five months, the US had averted a potential catastrophe in Europe and other cities as well.

The remarks came after the US Central Command reported that American forces had carried out a series of strikes against Iranian military targets. These operations targeted various facilities associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including air-defense installations, radar systems, maritime assets, and communications sites. Trump claimed that American forces had destroyed sophisticated radar installations twice, preventing Iran from continuing to deploy such systems.

Iran has strongly condemned the latest US strikes, accusing Washington of violating Iranian sovereignty and targeting non-military infrastructure and civilian sites in various provinces. Tehran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Iranian armed forces retaliated with "crushing defensive strikes" against US military bases within West Asia, which are believed to serve as the origin, support, and staging points for American attacks.