Trump Calls Iran Conflict "Small Potatoes," Threatens Pickaxe Mountain Strike

President Donald Trump called the conflict with Iran small potatoes for the United States, defending Vice President JD Vance's position that it is not a war.

Trump stated on Friday that the U.S. may strike Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site very soon. He told reporters at the White House that Washington is closely tracking activity at the underground complex and will prevent Tehran from using it to rebuild its nuclear program. Trump said American surveillance extends over Pickaxe Mountain and across Iran, giving Washington the ability to detect movements and respond rapidly.

He declared that "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon" and that the U.S. has stopped them from having one. Trump characterized the conflict as a military conflict because it's small potatoes for them. It's not a big thing. He compared casualties, stating that in Venezuela, the U.S. lost nobody, and in the Iran conflict, 18 people were lost, contrasting this with 100,000 lost in Vietnam.

The conflict with Iran has killed 18 U.S. service members and injured hundreds more. Trump also said he would call the conflict intermittent strikes and agreed with Vance that it was not a war. He claimed the U.S. is not fighting right now and is taking out a lot of oil, controlling the Hormuz Strait very strongly.

More than 50,000 U.S. troops are currently serving in the region. The U.S. carried out a series of new strikes against Iranian military targets on Tuesday, including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime facilities, and mine-laying capabilities, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Pickaxe Mountain, located near the Natanz nuclear complex, contains two tunnel complexes constructed deep beneath Kolang Gaz La mountain.

Experts assess that portions of the complex may be more deeply buried than Fordow, once considered Iran's most difficult nuclear facility to strike. Art Garfunkel, 84, stated he is considering leaving the U.S. due to Trump's actions, including taking over Venezuela.