Iran Rejects Claims of Secret Kolang Nuclear Facility
TEHRAN_Iran on Wednesday denied the existence of a secret nuclear facility at Kolang Mountain, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against the site, with Tehran insisting that all of its nuclear activities have been declared to the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X that Washington’s focus on Kolang Kouh was unfounded because no nuclear activity was taking place there. He described the allegations as a fabricated justification for potential military action and sabotage.
Baqaei also said Iran’s nuclear program had been fully declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, reiterating Tehran’s longstanding position that its nuclear activities are transparent and subject to international oversight.
The statement came a day after Trump warned that the United States could strike the site, known in English as Pickaxe Mountain. Speaking on Tuesday, Trump said the United States would target the area “pretty soon, and very heavily,” adding that he would not normally announce military targets but believed there was nothing Iran could do in response.
As of Wednesday, the United States had not carried out the threatened strike.
The dispute follows reports published in 2025 by U.S. media organizations, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, which said Iran had accelerated construction at a secret underground nuclear installation at Kolang Mountain. Iranian authorities denied those reports at the time.
Kolang Mountain is located near Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility in central Isfahan province. Natanz was targeted by U.S. strikes during the brief war in June 2025, making the surrounding area a continuing focus of international attention over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran has consistently rejected allegations that it is operating undeclared nuclear facilities and maintains that its nuclear activities are peaceful. Wednesday’s comments by the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that position amid renewed tensions following Trump’s latest warning.
The exchange underscores continuing friction between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program and comes as international scrutiny remains focused on nuclear sites in and around Natanz.
