Trump Weighs Seizing Kharg Island and Bombing Pickaxe Mountain as US Hits Hormuz for 5 Days
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 14
Trump Weighs Seizing Kharg Island and Bombing Pickaxe Mountain as US Hits Hormuz for 5 Days
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 14
Summary
Trump reviewed options in a Tuesday Situation Room meeting to widen the Iran campaign, including taking Kharg Island—Iran’s key export hub—and striking underground sites at Pickaxe Mountain.
Five straight days of US strikes along the Strait of Hormuz, including a hit on Greater Tunb Island on Wednesday, have targeted Iranian launchers, radars and bases that officials say threaten commercial shipping.
Those attacks are meant to weaken Iran’s ability to choke the waterway, but officials said they could also prepare the battlefield for larger operations Trump has been considering.
Trump has publicly promised harder strikes within a week, citing Iran’s refusal to meet US nuclear demands and its continued restrictions on strait traffic, though he has previously signaled escalation and then pulled back.
JD Vance, the administration’s lead Iran negotiator, said military force alone cannot secure the strait, underscoring tension inside the administration between escalating attacks and reviving talks.
Is Iran's 'untargetable' nuclear mountain truly beyond the reach of America's newest weapons?
After a peace deal collapsed in just 26 days, is an all-out war between the U.S. and Iran now unavoidable?
Pickaxe Mountain Crisis: U.S.-Iran Escalation, Nuclear Risks, and the Challenge of Deep Underground Facilities in 2026
Overview
As of mid-July 2026, the crisis between the US and Iran has sharply escalated, with President Trump ordering repeated military strikes and threatening Iran’s fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Despite these aggressive actions, Trump has left the door open for diplomacy, though his rhetoric and the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports suggest a hardline stance. US operations aim to weaken Iran’s military and disrupt attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran continues to fortify its underground nuclear facilities. This tense standoff highlights the difficulty of resolving the conflict and the growing risks of further escalation.