With His Latest Threats, Trump Signals to Iran That He Is Willing to Escalate
NYT > U.S. > Politics — 2026-07-21 19:00:00 — www.nytimes.com
Trump Threatens New Strike on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain Despite Lack of Nuclear Activity
President Trump on Tuesday threatened to escalate the ongoing conflict with Iran by targeting Pickaxe Mountain, a site that Western intelligence agencies and nuclear experts say is not currently operational as a nuclear facility. Trump’s public statements and posture suggest a willingness to intensify military action regardless of the site’s actual status.
Trump’s Escalation Threats
In remarks made during a visit from Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, Trump stated, “We’ll be hitting that area probably pretty soon,” and added, “And there’s not a thing they can do about it.” This is not the first time Trump has made such threats, but the focus on Pickaxe Mountain is notable because, according to nuclear experts, the site does not house the equipment needed to enrich uranium or produce bomb fuel. At most, experts believe it is a deep underground storage site, not an active nuclear facility.
Despite this, Trump appears fixated on sending a message to Iran, indicating that his willingness to escalate the conflict has no limits. He also threatened military action against the Houthis if they proceed with plans to block Saudi shipping from the Red Sea.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims and Rhetoric
Trump’s threats come amid ongoing questions about the effectiveness of his military strategy. The Pentagon’s previous operation, “Operation Midnight Hammer,” targeted three major Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, but failed to achieve the “unconditional surrender” Trump had demanded. The current focus on Pickaxe Mountain, which experts say is likely empty or contains only centrifuge parts, raises concerns about the rationale behind further escalation.
Trump has also used social media to compare his military actions to past U.S. wars, claiming, for example, that the “Venezuela War” lasted “1 day, 0 DEAD.” This characterization is misleading, as the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro was not a full-scale war.
Mounting Costs and Unanswered Questions
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, echoing Trump’s aggressive stance, estimated the cost of the war so far at $37.5 billion and has requested nearly double that amount in supplemental funds. Hegseth also used the conflict to justify a proposed increase in the Pentagon budget to $1.5 trillion, a more than 50 percent jump in one year. However, he did not provide a broad explanation for the budget increase beyond blaming the previous administration for military neglect.
Senate Democrats have pressed Trump and Hegseth for clarity on their strategy, particularly as continued attacks have not produced Iranian concessions. Senator Patty Murray challenged Hegseth on his earlier claim that most of Iran’s missile arsenal had been “functionally destroyed,” pointing out ongoing attacks in the region.
Conclusion
President Trump’s threats to strike Pickaxe Mountain—a site that experts say is not an active nuclear facility—underscore a pattern of escalation and questionable claims about the nature and progress of the conflict with Iran. As the administration seeks unprecedented increases in military spending and continues to justify aggressive actions with disputed or misleading statements, the effectiveness and rationale of Trump’s approach remain under intense scrutiny. The facts on the ground, as reported by international inspectors and nuclear experts, do not support Trump’s characterization of Pickaxe Mountain as a critical nuclear target, raising further questions about the administration’s strategy and public messaging.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/us/politics/trump-iran-threats.html