US-Iran war: Trump says Washington considering strike on Tehran’s Pickaxe Mountain, rules out use of ground troops | Today’s news
Amid a relative lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday (local time) that Washington could launch another strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, including Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected nuclear site buried under layers of rock, saying: “We’re going to take it down quickly. He dismissed the suggestion that such an operation would require ground troops, saying: “No, I don’t see that. I don’t see it.”
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Newsmax as reports suggested the Pentagon was considering using the powerful weapon known as the “mother of all bombs.” Commenting on the possibility of targeting Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified nuclear site, the US president said: “We’re looking at Pickaxe Mountain now. We might have to go there,” adding: “We’re going to shoot at that one. We’re going to blow it up quickly.”
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Trump says war will end soon, stresses MOAB is not nuclear
The US president also discussed the possibility of renewed military action against Iran and predicted that the war would end soon, either through negotiations or other means. He said: “The Iran war will end very soon. It will end very soon,” adding: “One way or another it will end. You know, they’re negotiating with us. Yes.” He continued: “But one way or another, it’s going to end very soon. And oil is going to go down like a rock – and so are gas prices.”
When asked about reports that Washington was considering using the “mother of all bombs,” possibly after the Nov. 3 election, he emphasized that the weapon was not nuclear, saying, “Well, the mother of all bombs is not nuclear.” He continued, “No, it’s not nuclear at all. It’s just an extremely large bomb,” describing it, “It’s like a small nuclear bomb. The mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear.”
He reiterated that the U.S. had already caused serious damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, but argued that a withdrawal before eliminating the possibility of the Islamic Republic acquiring a nuclear weapon could require further military action later.
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Asked why the US didn’t declare victory and withdraw, he said: “Well, we could. But if we do it within a year, we might have to do it again,” adding: “We want to make it so that they never have a nuclear weapon, because if they had one, they would use it, in my opinion, immediately.”
Trump Considers Using MOAB Against Iran: What We Know
The US president’s clarification followed a CNN report citing several US officials who said Trump was considering using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, also known as the “mother of all bombs” (MOAB).
According to the report, the US military has prepared additional strike plans to be used if Trump orders the resumption of combat operations. Potential targets include energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including Mount Pickaxe, where Washington and Israel believe Iran has stored components of its nuclear program.
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Trump rejected a cease-fire, predicted a resumption of bombing
Trump also raised the prospect of renewed bombing last month when he rejected a ceasefire and suggested further military action remained a possibility.
In September, a day before Trump rejected Tehran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that Washington meets his demands, US officials told The Wall Street Journal that he rejected the proposal and expected to resume bombing after the US midterm elections.
The U.S. president’s latest stance, officials say, suggests the conflict, which is currently in a precarious phase between war and peace, could return to active combat. Trump, who declared victory over Iran at the start of the seven-month conflict, has since veered between diplomatic efforts, military strikes and tougher sanctions. Officials believe he could change course again as the conflict continues, with the results of midterm elections likely to influence his decision.
