Iranupdated 1h ago3 min read
MapTucker Carlson Says Netanyahu Pressures Trump Toward Nuclear Strike on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain
“The claim is unverified”
“Netanyahu Presses Trump To Strike On Iran's Nuclear Site, New Target Picked”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
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Carlson says Netanyahu pressures Trump to strike Iran, targeting Pickaxe Mountain. Trump weighs a nuclear strike amid Netanyahu pressure; administration has not confirmed a decision.
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Carlson’s nuclear claim
Tucker Carlson claimed that the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran under pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Carlson said the target would be Pickax Mountain in central Iran. Carlson wrote that no conventional weapon could penetrate 300 feet of solid granite to destroy tunnels where Israeli intelligence believes enrichment is taking place, and Carlson argued that the only military option would be a nuclear strike. Carlson also said Trump is likely to decide by November 7, while Carlson wrote that Trump was hesitating and listening to Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff, who Carlson said argue a deal with Iran can be made.
Trump, speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, said the United States had largely destroyed Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities but still needed to deal with one or two sites, naming Pickaxe Mountain, and Trump said it could be done in 10 minutes. Anadolu Ajansı reported that Trump said Washington could strike Iran’s remaining suspected nuclear facilities in "10 minutes" and said he was not in a hurry to reach an agreement with Tehran.
Trump, Netanyahu, and talks
Axios reported that Netanyahu pressed Trump for a strike immediately after Tuesday’s US midterm elections, while Trump wanted to let negotiations play out for now, and the report described the call as tense. Trump confirmed that he spoke by phone with Netanyahu on Sunday, describing the conversation as a "very good talk" and confirming that Iran was among the topics. Marco Rubio said no final decision has been made on resuming strikes, and the White House official said the administration does not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist.
Iran denies any nuclear activity at the Pickaxe Mountain complex, and Iran’s Supreme Leader warned the United States and Israel against launching new attacks. Qatari mediators held discussions with Iranian officials for a third consecutive day on Sunday to facilitate an agreement to resume direct talks between Washington and Tehran, while Iranian officials discussed a plan Tehran says could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington meets its conditions.
What comes next
Trump said he was not "in much of a hurry" to take further action, while Trump told reporters that negotiations with Iran were "going fine" but that Tehran was "not very reliable." Trump also said, "We can do that in 10 minutes," and Trump added, "We have that planned," referring to Pickaxe Mountain. Tucker Carlson claimed Netanyahu is "cornered and desperate" after last week’s election results and said Netanyahu needs the war, while Carlson also claimed Netanyahu applied maximum pressure to allies including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper.
Tucker Carlson warned that an American nuclear attack on Iran would set a new precedent and said the Russians had told at least two other governments that a US nuclear strike on Iran would free them to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Anadolu Ajansı reported that Trump’s remarks came after Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators in Doha on Saturday, following talks in Tehran on Friday aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict.