Trump Says He Doesn't Need Netanyahu's Iran Warning: 'I Know Exactly What's Going On at Pickaxe Mountain'

President Donald Trump said he was already fully informed about activity at Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, dismissing suggestions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to brief him ahead of their White House meeting on Tuesday.

The comments came before the leaders' first formal talks since the United States and Israel jointly conducted military operations against Iranian nuclear facilities five months ago.

While Trump indicated he expected Iran to dominate the discussions, he questioned why Netanyahu had publicly highlighted concerns about Pickaxe Mountain before the two leaders had spoken privately.

Trump Says He Already Knows About Pickaxe Mountain

Speaking in an interview before the meeting, Trump said Netanyahu was likely to raise the issue because the Israeli leader wanted the United States to remain engaged in confronting Iran's nuclear programme.

'I know exactly what's going on at Pickaxe,' Trump said, adding that developments at the site were 'not a big problem'

Trump also questioned Netanyahu's decision to discuss the facility publicly before their meeting. 'Why don't you just tell it to me?' Trump said. 'Why do you have to announce to the world?'

Referring to the Israeli prime minister by his nickname, Trump added, 'I don't need Bibi to tell me.'

The remarks suggested that while the two leaders remain broadly aligned on Iran, Trump believed sensitive intelligence discussions should take place privately rather than through public statements.

Pickaxe Mountain is a deeply buried underground complex located near Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, one of the country's principal uranium enrichment centres.

According to Reuters, the site has attracted increasing international attention because of its depth and the possibility that it could house sensitive nuclear-related infrastructure beyond the reach of many conventional weapons.

Western governments and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have long monitored Iranian nuclear facilities, although officials have publicly disclosed relatively little about activity at Pickaxe Mountain itself.

Israeli officials have reportedly planned to share intelligence assessments concerning construction and possible nuclear-related activity at the site during Netanyahu's Washington visit.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful civilian purposes and has denied seeking nuclear weapons.

Trump Threatens More Strikes if Iran Refuses Deal

Although Trump downplayed concerns about Pickaxe Mountain itself, he reiterated that military action remained an option if negotiations with Tehran failed.

'We'll have to take out Pickaxe if they don't make a deal,' Trump said.

He also repeated broader warnings directed at Iran's infrastructure, saying the United States could destroy bridges and electrical facilities if conflict escalated.

Trump said he hoped such action would not become necessary because of the potential impact on Iranian civilians but maintained that Tehran understood the United States was prepared to act if diplomatic efforts failed.

The comments reflected Trump's longstanding strategy of combining public pressure with offers of negotiation, a position he has repeatedly adopted throughout disputes involving Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran Expected to Dominate Netanyahu Meeting

Before travelling to Washington, Netanyahu said Iran would be the principal focus of his discussions with Trump.

Speaking ahead of the visit, the Israeli prime minister said the two leaders would discuss 'all the issues on the table, with Iran at the forefront.'

Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that Iran must be prevented from developing nuclear weapons and has said diplomatic efforts should remain backed by the credible threat of military action.

According to a White House official cited in media reports, Tuesday's meeting is also expected to include discussions on the US-Israel framework with Lebanon following the conflict involving Hezbollah, as well as efforts to expand the Abraham Accords with additional regional partners.

Despite Trump's comments about Pickaxe Mountain, both leaders have continued to present a broadly united position on preventing Iran from advancing its nuclear programme.

Asked whether he and Netanyahu remained aligned, Trump acknowledged there was 'a little difference' between them but added that they were 'pretty close.'

The meeting is expected to provide further insight into how the United States and Israel intend to coordinate policy on Iran as diplomatic efforts continue alongside ongoing concerns over Tehran's nuclear activities.