Pekaks: The Mountain Hiding Iran’s Nuclear Bomb

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When IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi requested clarification from Iran about what’s happening beneath the Pekaks mountain, Tehran’s blunt and shocking reply was: “That’s none of your business.” This response came as U.S. B-2 stealth bombers were striking Iran’s key enrichment facilities in Fordow and Natanz with 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs, in an attack President Donald Trump claimed had “wiped out Iran’s nuclear program.”

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Pre-emptive Evacuation and a Mountain Plan B

According to the Telegraph, sixteen trucks were spotted outside Fordow ahead of the strike. An Iranian nuclear expert reported that the regime had moved large quantities of highly enriched uranium to a secret location before the bombing.

Sima Shine, a former Israeli security official, stated that Iran is likely concealing facilities housing hundreds or even thousands of advanced centrifuges capable of producing weapons-grade uranium.

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The newspaper reported that the Pekaks site — beneath Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La mountain, roughly 90 miles south of Fordow and near Natanz — could be this alternative secret site. Under construction, Pekaks has seen covert expansions and defensive reinforcements over the past four years.

Rising International Concern and Undeclared Materials

In April, Grossi confirmed the IAEA had requested details on the mountain site, but Iran’s stance remained unchanged.

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Grossi noted that the possibility of these tunnels being used to store undeclared nuclear materials “cannot be ruled out” and urged immediate inspector access to assess enriched uranium stockpiles.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the risk of Iran secretly enriching uranium had doubled amid a fragile truce with Israel, enforced by President Trump.

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Limited U.S. Strike and Nuclear Race Fears

A classified U.S. intelligence report revealed that the strike did not fully destroy the nuclear sites as Trump claimed. Only two were disabled, while underground structures remained intact, meaning Iran retains most of its nuclear material and could build a bomb within six months.

In response, the Iranian Parliament voted on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, deepening global concerns.

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Pekaks: The New Mountain Fortress

Analysts suggest Iran may be ramping up enrichment at Pekaks — a heavily fortified underground facility.

Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said the key question is whether Iran has already stockpiled fissile material at Pekaks or another hidden site.

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Satellite images show recent expansion, supporting the theory that Pekaks is a replacement enrichment facility. Experts believe its size and depth may rival or exceed Fordow’s capabilities.

Pekaks reportedly has four tunnel entrances, compared to Fordow’s two, and may lie over 100 meters underground, versus Fordow’s 60–90 meters — making it harder for U.S. bunker-busters to penetrate.

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Bunker-Busters Ineffective Against Iranian Depths

Despite using GBU-57 bombs that can penetrate 60 meters of earth, Pekaks may be deeper than what conventional weapons can reach.

Security expert Reuel Marc Gerecht said the new facility was designed to give Iran a nuclear site nearly impossible to destroy, even with America’s most powerful bombs.

He added that new tunnels and a security belt complicate any potential commando or sabotage operation — as seen with previous Hezbollah targets.

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Iran’s Dispersal and Resilience Strategy

Fordow was built in secret and revealed in 2009 by Western intelligence, leading to heavy sanctions and becoming a central element of the 2015 nuclear deal, which turned the site into a research center.

Iran resumed enrichment at Fordow after the U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018 and increased enrichment to 60% after the 2021 Natanz blast — near the 90% weapons-grade threshold.

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Intelligence reports suggest Iran is using a strategy of dispersing its nuclear capabilities across multiple sites to ensure continuity in case of attack.

The Institute for Science and International Security estimates Iran may deploy thousands of advanced centrifuges at Pekaks, allowing enrichment to continue even if known sites are destroyed.

Iranian Leadership: The Bomb Isn’t Off the Table

Ali Shamkhani, advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei, stated that “the game isn’t over,” even if sites are destroyed, since materials, knowledge, and political will remain.

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Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi rejected calls to halt the nuclear program, stating: “No one can tell us what to do.”

Iran now appears set to activate the Pekaks facility soon, reinforcing its defenses. Observers warn that if the regime feels existentially threatened, Tehran may abandon its peaceful nuclear rhetoric and pursue weaponization.

Military Escalation and a Nuclear Arms Race

Over 12 days, Iran and Israel exchanged missile strikes until Trump ordered a historic attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

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Tehran responded with a missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest U.S. base in the region and home to British RAF aircraft — prompting Gulf airspace closure.

Despite Trump’s ceasefire declaration, Israel bombed Iranian targets again. Furious, Trump called Netanyahu to demand adherence to the truce, later stating: “Iran and Israel don’t even know what they’re doing.”

Amid escalating tensions and a fragile ceasefire, Iran’s leadership may conclude that its regime faces an existential threat — paving the way for a real nuclear arms race.

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