New wave of American strikes in Iran, Trump threatens Natanz underground nuclear complex

For the eleventh consecutive night, American forces have carried out a new series of strikes against targets in Iran. President Donald Trump warned that the next target could be a hidden nuclear facility underground near Natanz, known as “Pickaxe Mountain.”

According to U.S. Central Command (Centcom), the aim of these operations is to paralyze Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global energy supplies.

Reports from official Iranian media indicated air defense systems were activated in the capital Tehran. Simultaneously, explosions were reported in several other parts of the country, including the northwestern city of Tabriz, the southern ports of Chabahar and Konarak, and the area of Bushehr, site of the Islamic Republic’s only functioning nuclear power plant.

During a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House, Trump emphasized the focus on the target near Natanz. Washington believes Iran is continuing to build a covert infrastructure for uranium enrichment there.

“The strike on that area will happen soon and will be extremely powerful,” the American president declared, stressing his conviction that Iranian defenses would be unable to protect that target.

The Iranian side responded to the warnings by emphasizing that any aggression against its nuclear installations would be interpreted as an escalation of the conflict in the region and would bring a direct retaliatory response against U.S. interests and its partners.

The financial cost of this conflict for Washington has been considerable. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed that military operations have so far cost around $37.5 billion and that new resources are needed to continue the campaign.

Centcom released details on the targets of the strikes, citing the destruction of military command centers, naval vessels, aircraft shelters, drone depots, and logistical networks. According to U.S. military allegations, Iranian forces have struck more than 30 commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz in the last three months alone.

The wave of tensions has also been felt beyond Iranian borders. Authorities in Kuwait reported that their air defense was put on alert by a drone attack coming from Iran, while Bahrain and Jordan confirmed they had intercepted similar attacks with missiles and unmanned aircraft.