U.S. and Israeli assessments indicate that Tehran stores components of its nuclear program at an underground facility beneath Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz.

Overview Debates Related claims Topics Sources

An insider quoted by the Financial Times estimated that support among Iranian decision-makers for acquiring a nuclear bomb has surged from almost zero to over 50%.

Iranian officials and a growing political faction are demanding Tehran weaponize its nuclear enrichment program and withdraw from the NPT to establish a complete deterrent against future U.S.-Israeli attacks.

Hassan Ghashghavi, a spokesperson for Iran's parliament National Security Committee, stated that Iran's new Supreme Leader could issue a new ruling regarding nuclear weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered to transfer Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium to Russia to assist in preventing a larger conflict.

Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi is subject to United States, European Union, and United Nations sanctions over his involvement in Iran's defense, nuclear, and ballistic missile programs

White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment on sensitive military plans regarding Iran, stating that President Donald Trump keeps all options on the table to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Military plans for striking Iranian nuclear sites, including the Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz, explicitly include options for deploying the GBU-43/B MOAB bomb.

The U.S. military has developed strike plans that include potentially using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened strikes on Pickaxe Mountain to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated on October 5, 2026, that Iran must make a meaningful reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to end the seven-month war.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance questioned why Iran needs 60% enriched fuel if Iran does not want to build a nuclear weapon.

The US should demand immediate nuclear enrichment cuts to end the war with Iran

Preventing a nuclear Iran matters more than stopping the economic costs of the war

During Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, U.S. military B-2 bombers flying from Missouri conducted a single-night mission targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.

During a campaign rally in Durant, Oklahoma, on October 1, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the Iranian nuclear facilities targeted in Operation Midnight Hammer were also "drug factories" where Iran "was doing drugs".

Trump's claim that Iranian nuclear sites housed drug factories is credible

Prior to Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran was allowing inspectors to remain in the country for continuous supervision of its nuclear sites

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the Operation Midnight Hammer bombing mission in June 2025 had crippled Iran's nuclear capability.

The June 2026 memorandum of understanding, which collapsed weeks after being signed by Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, included provisions regarding Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz

The US should lift sanctions on Iran before Tehran implements nuclear concessions