Shoot a ship & we’ll obliterate a power plant, Trump warns Iran as he prepares to blitz ‘impenetrable’ Pickaxe nuke lair

Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook 10 comments 10 DONALD Trump has vowed to obliterate Iranian bridges and power plants for every ship its bloodhounds shoot at in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president is also gearing up to strike the regime’s Pickaxe Mountain , a fortified underground complex the mullahs are believed to be using as a nuclear lair. 6 Donald Trump has vowed to ‘bomb and destroy’ Iran’s civilian infrastructure Credit: AFP 6 The US president is gearing up to strike Pickaxe Mountain, where the regime is believed to have stowed its nuclear stockpile away Credit: Reuters Advertisement American bombers blitzed the Islamic State for the 11th consecutive night yesterday to grind down its capacity to target vessels passing through the waterway. Trump followed another ruthless night of bombing by threatening to destroy Iran ‘s civilian infrastructure if it continues its brazen attacks. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Email address Please provide a valid email. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. CLICK TO WATCH He wrote on Truth Social: “Any time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT.” The bloodthirsty IRGC has been wreaking havoc in the key shipping lane, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil passes, before the outbreak of the war. Read more on Iran BOMBS AWAY Burnham 'approves military bases for US strikes on Iran' as Trump 'not finished' BUNKER BUSTER US will hit Iran's nuclear fortress Pickaxe mountain very soon, Trump reveals 6 Trump has ordered dozens more strikes in the last fortnight Credit: via REUTERS 6 The warring nations temporarily brokered a ceasefire, with Trump signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 17 and reopening the key trade route. But on July 7, Iran badly damaged a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and another British vessel. Advertisement The attack prompted Trump to restart his bombing campaign. Dozens of strategic port sites were struck, as well operation centres, aircraft hangars, drone facilities and military infrastructure. Most read in The Sun DRIED OUT What is a drought and how long is the dry weather set to last for? NESSUN TRAUMA Pavarotti's tailor suing fridge fit firm over 'mould' on £1m wine collection Blooming marvellous How you can water your plants during a hosepipe ban MASKED BANDITS Racoon Jimothy 'may have more short-spined friends' after spate of sightings 6 Iran’s Islamic Guards have been causing mayhem in the Strait of Hormuz Credit: Getty 6 Trump has threatened to destroy Iranian bridges in response Credit: X/Vahid After last night’s strikes , US Central Command announced that it was further degrading “Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”. Advertisement It added that 30 vessels had been targeted in the international waterway over the past three months, endangering “hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation”. Trump is continuing to deploy more planes to the region, including extra F-16 and F-35 fighter jets from European bases, a sign the conflict is about to escalate. As the peace deal was falling apart last week, he received a briefing from ­military chiefs on options to intensify the war. His sights now appear to be set on the elusive Pickaxe Mountain in the Natanz area, where the regime is thought to have stowed its nuclear material. “We’ll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon, and there’s not a not a thing they can do about it,” the US President told reporters in the White House . Advertisement Asked whether he believes they’ve hidden their nuclear stockpile there, he said: “I think that they may have. We don’t have it on record. “[But] it doesn’t mean anything unless they have the material.” Pickaxe is a peak in the mountains surrounding the city of Natanz, and is over 5,000ft high – taller than any mountain in the UK. Buried 328ft down, the site is heavily fortified, and it is believed that it hosts two tunnel complexes. The US attacked three Iranian nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – deploying 30,000-pound GBU-57 “massive ordnance penetrator” bombs in an operation called “Midnight Hammer” that took place in June 2025. Advertisement Trump hailed the strikes as “historically successful” at the time, and just this week he repeated again that Iran would have already unleashed a nuclear weapon on Israel had it not been for the US action during the 12-Day war. But destroying Pickaxe Mountain will take far more to reach the deeper tunnels. Experts assess it as being beyond the reach of the most powerful bunker buster bombs in the US arsenal . Trump’s threat about strikes on the fortress comes after he said that the regime wants to “desperately” meet because they are getting “decimated” – but that he has no interest right now. Giving a dim view on possible talks to end the war, he said: “Until they are ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting.” Advertisement The US has already deployed extra F-16 and F-35 fighter jets from bases in Europe, as well as aerial refuelling tankers, in a sign the conflict is about to escalate. The president also received a briefing from ­military chiefs on options to intensify the attacks. RECOMMENDED STORIES Options include capturing Kharg Island , where 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports pass through and bombing nuclear facilities. At least three US soldiers have been killed in the renewed fighting, and Trump has ordered the Pentagon to make the regime pay “many times over” for every death. 10 comments 10