President Donald Trump has signalled that US forces will strike Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain underground nuclear complex imminently, telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday (Washington time) that the attack would happen "pretty soon" and "very heavily" — while also appearing to blame partner nation Jordan for the deaths of American troops at a Jordanian air base last week.
His remarks came as the US military released the identities of three service members killed in the escalating conflict, and as Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened to blockade Saudi Arabia's ports, rattling global energy markets.
Trump's Pickaxe Mountain warning — and what's known about the site
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump made his most direct statement yet about targeting Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried facility located near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment complex — itself bombed by the US in the previous phase of the conflict.
"We'll be hitting that area probably pretty soon and there's not a thing they can do about it," Trump said. "Normally, I wouldn't say that. If I thought they could do something about it, I would never say that. But we'll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily."
The precise purpose of Pickaxe Mountain remains a matter of intelligence debate. Western agencies suspect Iran has been constructing an undeclared uranium enrichment facility inside the mountain's tunnel network. Israeli intelligence is understood to believe Tehran relocated thousands of centrifuges into tunnels deep inside the mountain and passed that assessment to the United States. Trump, when asked about the centrifuge reports, said he was focused on tracking Iranian stockpiles of enriched uranium: "That's where the action is."
Trump also projected a long-term campaign, saying Iran would need more than two decades to recover from damage already sustained. "If we left right now, it would take Iran 20, 25 years to rebuild," he said. "We're not finished at all … we're not leaving right now."
So far, as part of the 2026 Iran war, US strikes have largely focused on Iranian coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone launch sites, command centres, and air defence systems — stopping short of the underground nuclear infrastructure.
Three US soldiers named — and Trump's pointed words about Jordan
The Pentagon released the identities of three service members lost in the renewed fighting. Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, and First Lieutenant Tyler Feehan, 25, were killed when an Iranian missile struck the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Sergeant Michael Swinton, 30, died in Iraq during the disposal of an Iranian drone. A fourth soldier remains missing, with unidentified remains having been found.
Trump's comments about the Jordanian deaths raised eyebrows among observers tracking the US alliance network in the region. Asked about the missile that reached the Jordanian base, Trump appeared to lay responsibility at Jordan's door rather than Iran's alone.
"They did slip something through in Jordan, and if we had other operators, it would not have happened, unfortunately," he said. "We have the best equipment in the world, we've stopped almost everything. But when you let other people do your job — with the United States, we let other people do the job — and sometimes it doesn't work out so well."
The remarks were notable given Jordan is a key US security partner in the region. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the strike on Jordan, claiming they had targeted what they described as a "complex housing US terrorist forces in the region of Rukban." You can read more on the initial Iran strike on the Jordanian airbase and the subsequent US retaliatory strikes that followed.
Wider conflict: Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain struck; Houthis threaten Saudi blockade
The regional picture darkened significantly on Tuesday, with Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain all reporting Iranian drone and missile attacks. Bahrain said it intercepted strikes as sirens sounded repeatedly across the kingdom. Kuwait said Tehran had hit multiple power stations and water desalination plants over recent days, forcing residents to ration energy consumption. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their strikes were a prelude to "even more decisive and powerful waves."
Iran's army said it targeted US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including air defence systems, radar installations and administrative buildings.
Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels escalated pressure on global energy markets by threatening a full blockade of Saudi Arabia's ports — a move that would compound the disruption already caused by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which reignited the broader conflict two weeks ago.
Ship tracking data showed at least two large tankers carrying Saudi crude oil made U-turns in the Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait rather than risk proceeding: a crude carrier loaded with roughly 2 million barrels of Saudi crude turned back toward the Suez Canal, as did an Aframax tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels bound for India. An oil and Iran analyst at the Eurasia Group consultancy said at least five tankers carrying Saudi oil or heading for Saudi ports had stopped or reversed course near the strait, though non-Saudi shipping continued moving normally.
Trump said US forces would "take care of" the Houthis if the threatened blockade proceeded. Saudi Arabia condemned the Houthi threat, calling it an act of the "terrorist Houthi militia," while oil markets eased slightly despite the announcement — reflecting ongoing uncertainty about how any blockade could practically be enforced.
