Trump Warns Iran Against 'Playing Games' at Nuclear Sites as Gulf of Hormuz Ship Attacks Escalate

BlockBeats news, September 10: U.S. President Trump warned Iran on September 9 local time not to carry out further activities at the suspected nuclear facility "Pickaxe Mountain," otherwise the United States would strike "very hard." Trump said the U.S. side had noticed recent "activity" at the site.

The latest satellite imagery analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows that road activity at Pickaxe Mountain this year has reached its highest level in history, with construction activity clearly increasing, and it may now have shifted from underground excavation to internal construction and perimeter reinforcement. The site is only about 2 kilometers from the severely damaged Natanz nuclear facility, but CSIS cannot confirm whether Iran has moved nuclear facilities such as centrifuges there.

At the same time, attacks between the United States and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate. Iran said it launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan and attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz; U.S. Central Command said it had previously destroyed 5 Iranian oil tankers in response to two ballistic missile attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on U.S. warships.

The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20% of global oil transportation, and repeated attacks have raised market concerns about supply disruptions. Brent crude once rose above $100 per barrel and is now quoted at $99.19.

Trump also said the U.S.-Iran war may not end until after the November midterm elections, and said Iran "cannot hold on much longer."