Intense construction activity is recorded in 2026 at a suspicious Iranian nuclear facility buried under granite, while the US considers ways to strike Tehran's most deeply protected nuclear sites. New evidence from an analysis of six years of satellite imagery shows that at the Pickaxe Mountain facility, near the Natanz nuclear complex roughly 225 kilometers south of Tehran, significant construction activity has been recorded throughout 2026. According to an analysis of satellite images by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which was presented by CNN prior to its release, there has been a "clear increase in construction activity" this year. CSIS analysts estimate that the underground facility is likely designed as a safe haven for Iran's nuclear program.
Pickaxe Mountain in the crosshairs
The Pickaxe Mountain facility has been under intense intelligence scrutiny for years, with agencies believing it could serve as a critical site for protecting Iran's nuclear activities. Israeli intelligence services have implied that Iran may be seeking to transfer centrifuges to the area as part of its uranium enrichment efforts. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened that the facility could be targeted in an American strike. "We may hit Pickaxe very soon," Trump told reporters last week, adding that US intelligence knows "everyone who is moving" in the area.
Granite versus the strongest US bombs
The main problem for the US lies in the region's complex geology. The granite mountain housing the site represents an extraordinarily difficult target even for the Pentagon's most powerful non-nuclear munitions, according to CSIS analysts. Pickaxe Mountain is not the only Iranian nuclear facility believed to be beyond the reach of current conventional weapons. However, evidence suggests that the US is actively attempting to develop methods to strike such deeply buried targets.
Secret US test at White Sands
Four days before the launch of the American military campaign Operation Epic Fury, a Pentagon official managing a weapons of mass destruction defense program signed an emergency contract justification worth $1.2 million. The contract was for repairs to a "unique underground test facility" at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The objective was a live-fire test designed to validate classified capabilities against "rapidly emerging threats." The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) document was posted to a federal database on February 27, just one day before the outbreak of hostilities. The memorandum noted that "rapid test preparation" had to be completed within two to three weeks due to a time-sensitive national security directive.
Test linked to the war in Iran
Three sources familiar with the matter told CNN that plans for the test were directly linked to the war in Iran. According to the same sources, the objective was to develop a means of striking Iran's most deeply buried underground structures and likely simulate American air strikes against specific nuclear sites. The US had previously carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear targets in June 2025 during Operation Midnight Hammer. Those strikes successfully destroyed several major facilities connected to Tehran's nuclear program. However, a top US general briefed Congress last year that the deep underground nuclear site at Isfahan had essentially only suffered damage to its entrance points, as the Pentagon assessed its specialized bunker-busters, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), could not achieve complete destruction.
US developing "next-generation weapon"
The US military is now working on developing a "next-generation penetration bomb" to succeed the MOP, capable of striking even more heavily fortified targets. A contract to initiate work on a prototype for the new bunker buster was awarded in September 2025. In June, the US Air Force also issued a solicitation to defense industry contractors to submit proposals for the advanced weapon.
Satellite images show work at White Sands
Satellite imagery examined by CNN shows that between February 16 and 18, excavation work began at a remote DTRA and US Strategic Command facility at White Sands. The facility is used to study the effects of weapons against deeply buried targets. The timing aligns directly with the emergency contract authorization. According to federal procurement records, Pate Construction submitted a bid for the work on February 17 and was awarded the contract the following day. Operations at the remote site, known as the Alternate Seismic Hardrock in Situ Test Site (Alt. SHIST), continued through mid-March. Throughout the operation, the pile of excavated soil grew steadily before satellite images showed activity appearing to halt. The DTRA test facility at White Sands is likewise located within granite bedrock, according to an environmental assessment.
Unconfirmed whether test was conducted
CNN was unable to independently verify whether the specific test was conducted. It was also unable to confirm the precise purpose of the work at the DTRA facility captured in the satellite imagery. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to inquiries, while Pate Construction did not return phone calls from network journalists.
Pickaxe remains in US crosshairs
The US military maintains active operational plans for a strike on Pickaxe Mountain. According to a source familiar with the matter, the facility was included in a target package reviewed earlier in the summer when Trump threatened to escalate the conflict with Iran. The attack plan for Pickaxe called for utilizing some of the largest bombs in the US military arsenal. However, it remains unclear whether these munitions can penetrate deeply enough to destroy whatever assets Iran may have transferred to the underground complex.
New strike plans for underground strongholds
Efforts to develop operational plans capable of delivering decisive strikes against underground facilities remain ongoing. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that US Department of Defense officials recently conducted an intensive "planning sprint" focused on these specific operational capabilities. This highlights that the capacity to destroy Iran's deeply buried nuclear infrastructure remains a high-priority operational objective for Washington.
Three potential uses for Pickaxe Mountain
According to the CSIS analysis, the Pickaxe Mountain facility is likely designed for one of three distinct purposes, all tied to Iran's nuclear ambitions: It could serve as: a centrifuge assembly plant, a uranium enrichment facility, a secure shelter for other nuclear weapons-related operations, such as converting uranium into metal form. CSIS analysts maintain that activity at the site has now shifted from active excavation toward internal construction and reinforcing external structures.
Increased traffic and tunnel reinforcement
In 2026, Pickaxe Mountain exhibits higher road traffic and vehicle activity than during any previous period analyzed. Works include elevating and reinforcing tunnel entrances, paving internal road networks, strengthening access points, and leveling debris generated from tunnel excavation. However, CSIS analysts maintain a notable caveat. The "continuous construction activity" observed at Pickaxe Mountain, combined with other indicators, suggests the facility may not yet be in a position to carry out uranium enrichment, if that is indeed its intended purpose. This leaves open the critical question of what exactly Iran is building deep beneath the granite mountain and whether the site could ultimately become one of the most impenetrable assets in the Iranian nuclear program.
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