Trump warns US may strike Pickaxe Mountain in Iran, says it may soon be too late
Trump says he hopes Iran will act quickly, warning there will be a point when it becomes too late to avoid a strike.
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Map: The Middle East, marking Pickaxe Mountain, Strait of Hormuz
UpdateTuesday, September 22, 2026 at 4:35 PM ET
Iran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz include lifting a naval blockade, releasing frozen assets held abroad, and ending regional conflicts, according to the later filing. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has reportedly tightened its demands further even as talks continue.
Trump said the United States may have to attack Pickaxe Mountain in Iran, saying he hopes Tehran will do the right thing fast and warning there will be a time when it is too late. He said he is not currently seeing activity at the site but will strike it if that changes.
The warning comes alongside other recent remarks from Trump. He has said the conflict with Iran could end after the US midterm elections, possibly before, and that Washington is helping restore oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomacy has not stopped. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have held talks with Iranian mediators, and Witkoff met Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Trump has said the two envoys have momentum and expects them to get a deal done. Iran, though, has hardened its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz even as the talks continue, and its parliament has proposed a 20% transit fine on shipping passing through the strait.
The combination of a compressed deadline and an explicit military threat, running alongside an active negotiating channel, tilts sentiment toward caution in risk assets without pointing to a full breakdown, since the diplomatic track remains open.