US-Iran War: Trump Says Washington Is Weighing Striking Pickaxe Mountain In Tehran, Rejects Use Of Ground Troops

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Amid a relative lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) suggested that Washington could launch another strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, including Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected nuclear site buried beneath layers of rock, declaring,“We'll knock it out fast.” He dismissed the suggestion that such an operation would require ground troops, saying,“No, I don't see that. I don't see that.”

Trump made these remarks in an interview with Newsmax as reports suggested that 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 stated,“Now, we're looking at Pickaxe Mountain. We may have to go there,” and added,“We'll take a shot at that one. We'll knock it out fast.”

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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 be over very soon. It's going to end very soon,” and added,“One way or the other, it's going to end. You know, they are negotiating with us. Yes.” He continued,“But one way or the other, it'll end very soon. And oil will go dropping like a rock - and gas prices as well.”

When asked about reports that Washington was considering using the“mother of all bombs,” possibly after the 3 November midterm elections, he stressed that the weapon was not nuclear, saying,“Well, the mother of all bombs is not nuclear.” He went on to say,“No, it's not nuclear at all. This is just an extremely large bomb,” and described it:“It's like a tiny nuclear bomb. The mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it's not nuclear.”

He reiterated that the US had already inflicted severe damage on Iran's nuclear infrastructure but argued that withdrawing before eliminating the possibility of the Islamic Republic obtaining a nuclear weapon could require further military action later.

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When asked why the US did not declare victory and withdraw, he said,“Well, we could. But if we do that within a year we may have to do it again,” and added,“We want to make it so that they will never have a nuclear weapon, because if they had it, they would use it, in my opinion, instantaneously.”

Trump considering using MOAB against Iran: What we know

The US President's clarification followed a CNN report, citing several US officials, which stated that Trump was weighing the use of 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 further strike plans for use if Trump orders combat operations to resume. Potential targets include energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including Pickaxe Mountain, where Washington and Israel believe Iran has stored components of its nuclear programme.

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Trump had also raised the prospect of renewed bombing last month, when he rejected a ceasefire, signalling that further military action remained an option.

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 meet its demands, US officials told The Wall Street Journal that he had rejected the proposal and expected bombing to resume after the US midterm elections.

According to the officials, the US President's latest position suggests that the conflict, currently in an uncertain phase between war and peace, could return to active fighting. Trump, who claimed victory over Iran early in the seven-month conflict, has since moved between diplomatic efforts, military strikes, and tougher sanctions. Officials believe he could change course again as the conflict continues, with the midterm election results potentially influencing his decisions.

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