US President Donald Trump said the United States may need to strike Iran's underground nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain, in an interview with Newsmax, according to Reuters and Newsmax reporting on the interview.
Trump said the US wants to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said the US would not use a nuclear bomb and did not see American ground troops being involved. He did not announce approval of any new strike.
In the interview, Trump said: "Now, we're looking at Pickaxe Mountain. We may have to go there," adding that the US would knock it out fast, according to Newsmax. Pickaxe Mountain is a suspected Iranian nuclear site believed to be buried beneath layers of rock, where US and Israeli officials believe Tehran has stored components of its nuclear programme, Newsmax reported.
Trump said the US had already inflicted severe damage on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but argued that withdrawing before eliminating the possibility of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons could require further military action later. He also said he believed the war would end soon and that Iran was negotiating with Washington, while Iranian officials had asked for a halt to American and Israeli military operations.
The conflict began on 28 February, according to the reporting. Any further US strike on Iranian nuclear sites would risk intensifying the Middle East war, with possible effects on global oil prices, air travel and regional security.