U.S. President Donald Trump has predicted that the ongoing war with Iran could end immediately after the United States midterm elections in November, while issuing a fresh warning that American forces may strike Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear-related complex.
Speaking at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, Trump said Washington had detected renewed activity around the Pickaxe Mountain site. He warned Tehran “not to get cute,” adding that the United States could respond with a major military strike if activity there continued.
Trump also said he believed the Iran conflict would end soon after the midterm elections. He accused Tehran of trying to influence the U.S. political environment ahead of the vote, which will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress. Reuters reported the claim but did not cite independent evidence that Iran is prolonging the conflict for electoral reasons.
Pickaxe Mountain is located about 220 kilometres south of Tehran and roughly two kilometres from the Natanz nuclear complex. The fortified site contains two deeply buried tunnel complexes and has drawn increasing attention from Washington over concerns surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities.
The nearby Natanz uranium-enrichment facilities were struck during U.S.-Israeli military operations earlier this year. However, according to the Institute for Science and International Security cited by Reuters, the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility was not targeted during those attacks or during last year’s 12-day Israel-Iran conflict.
Trump has been publicly threatening possible military action against Pickaxe Mountain since at least July as part of his administration’s efforts to weaken Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The Iran conflict has become an increasingly important domestic political issue in the United States, particularly as higher oil and fuel prices put pressure on American consumers ahead of the November midterms. Recent reporting indicates that the prolonged conflict and disruptions to energy supplies have contributed to significant volatility in global oil markets.
The United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases. The broader regional fighting has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions, according to Reuters.
Trump has defended the military campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran maintains that its uranium-enrichment activities are intended for peaceful purposes and says it does not possess nuclear weapons.
Trump’s latest warning suggests that despite his prediction of an end to the conflict after the U.S. elections, Washington remains prepared for further military escalation if it believes Iran is expanding nuclear-related activity.
Any attack on Pickaxe Mountain would mark another significant step in the confrontation, particularly because the complex is deeply buried and located close to Natanz—one of the most sensitive sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program.
For now, Trump’s comments leave two very different possibilities on the table: an end to the Iran war following the U.S. midterms, or another major American strike if Washington sees renewed activity at Pickaxe Mountain.
আপনার মতামত লিখুন :