Trump threatens Iran with attack on underground nuclear facility near Natanz

Speaking to journalists, Trump said: 'Wir werden dieses Gebiet ziemlich bald und sehr hart angreifen.' He also announced: 'Wir werden diesen Bereich in Kürze ins Visier nehmen, und zwar mit voller Wucht.' He added that Iran has 'bislang nichts gesehen' and that the US has 'bislang nett' gewesen. The president also stressed that he normally does not publicly name attack targets, but is doing so deliberately to pressure Tehran.

Trump's wording: threats against Tehran

Trump simultaneously issued a fundamental threat to the Iranian leadership: if it attempted to use a nuclear facility, the US military would intervene. In his own words he said: 'Wir sind mit dem Iran noch lange nicht fertig'. Asked about the duration of the conflict, he stated: 'Wenn wir morgen gehen würden, hätten wir einen riesigen Erfolg verzeichnet. Aber wir werden morgen nicht weggehen.' This signaled a continuation of the military operations.

Military situation and casualty figures

The escalation in rhetoric comes at a time when the military escalation between Washington and Tehran has recently increased markedly. The US military recently reported the deaths of three additional American soldiers from Iranian shelling. This raised the officially known number of US soldiers killed in the conflict to 17. Trump responded with a threat on his platform Truth Social: 'Jedes Mal, wenn der Iran einen amerikanischen Soldaten tötet, wird er diesen Tod um ein Vielfaches bezahlen!'

On Monday, Trump reaffirmed his threat of harsh retaliation against Iran via Truth Social. He also declared that the previous US strikes had hit Iran hard and the country would need decades to rebuild. At the same time, he said that Iran 'cannot do anything about it' – meaning that Tehran could do nothing against US superiority. With this choice of words, he underscored the pressure on the Iranian government.

Significance for the region

The background to the current tensions is the suspicion that Iran is working on a second enrichment facility hidden deep underground. Since underground targets are difficult to destroy with conventional bombs, Trump has repeatedly cited the facility as a symbol of US resolve. The White House sees the threat of further attacks as a means of deterring Iran from a nuclear buildup. Confirmation of the construction of a second facility from Iranian sources has not yet been forthcoming.

The meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday at the White House provided the setting for the new announcements. It underscored the regional dimension of the conflict, as the US wants to bring allies in the Middle East on board. The dpa-AFX agency disseminated the remarks from Washington.

Overall, a pattern is emerging in which the US government is pressuring Iran with both words and deeds. The threats against 'Pickaxe Mountain' are emblematic of a strategy of targeted escalation, combined with a signal that Washington will raise the pressure further if necessary.