Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on Pickaxe mountain and sites in news in the context of west asia crisis.US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear facility known as “Pickaxe Mountain,” putting renewed focus on one of Tehran’s most secretive underground sites that experts say is designed to withstand conventional bunker-buster bombs. In this context, let’s know about Pickaxe Mountain and other sites that have been in the news in the context of the West Asia crisis.Key Takeaways:1. Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, is a deeply buried underground nuclear facility under construction near Iran’s main uranium enrichment complex at Natanz. It has emerged as one of the most closely watched sites in Iran’s nuclear programme after US President Donald Trump threatened to target it in fresh remarks this week.2. It lies about 1.5 km south of the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran. The site is dug into a mountain in the Zagros range, making it far more protected than Iran’s existing underground facilities.3. Satellite imagery analysed by independent experts suggests Iran has been excavating two large tunnel complexes beneath the mountain since around 2020, The National reported, citing analysts. Iran has not publicly disclosed the site’s purpose.Other Sites in News4. Natanz enrichment plant: The US and Israel earlier also attacked on Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility on March 21, long regarded as Iran’s main enrichment site. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also confirmed entrances to Iran’s underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) were bombed.— Long regarded as Iran’s main enrichment site, Natanz, located 220 km southeast of Tehran, is home to two enrichment plants- Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP)- that were operational at the start of Israeli attacks in June 2025.Story continues below this ad5. South Pars: Israel attacked Iran’s key offshore South Pars natural gas field. It is in the Persian Gulf and accounts for up to three-fourths of Iranian gas production. It is shared between Iran and Qatar.UPSC Weekly Concepts Snapshot | ‘One-click’ exploits, Agriphotovoltaics, Total Solar Eclipse explained— South Pars is the world’s largest gas field. The entire South Pars reservoir contains an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of usable gas — enough to supply the entire world’s needs for 13 years — according to a Reuters report.6. Ras Laffan: The Ras Laffan Industrial City is Qatar’s primary gas hub. QatarEnergy’s primary LNG production units, liquefaction plants, and export infrastructure are all concentrated in Ras Laffan, making it the world’s largest LNG hub that accounts for roughly a fifth of global LNG supply.IranIran, or Persia, has been home to one of the oldest civilisations in the world, beginning with the Elamite empires in the fourth millennium BCE. It has a rich history, bearing the imprint of the many empires, religions, and cultures that have rolled through it over millennia. Cyrus the Great, Darius the Great, Alexander the Great, and Nader Shah are just some of the many emperors who shaped the country’s history and evolution.7. Kharg Island: Trump has repeatedly asserted that the US may send American troops to seize control of Iran’s key oil export terminal at Kharg Island. Referred to as the “orphan pearl” of the Persian Gulf, Kharg Island, which sits barely 25 kilometres off Iran’s coast, processes 90 per cent of Tehran’s crude oil exports and serves as the jugular of the country’s cash-strapped economy.Story continues below this adBEYOND THE NUGGET: Damage to historical sites in IranBeyond nuclear energy and other crucial sites, historical and cultural sites were also damaged in the attacks.1. Golestan Palace: Following military strikes by American and Israeli forces, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage confirmed catastrophic damage to the Golestan Palace (Kākh-e Golestān), a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the 16th century. Debris at the Golestan Palace after the recent air strikes. (Reuters/File)— It is a lavish monument of the Qajar era (1789 to 1925). It became a centre of Qajari arts and architecture, of which it is an outstanding example and has remained a source of inspiration for Iranian artists and architects to this day.— The Golestan Palace is protected under international law, the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.Story continues below this ad2. Chehel Sotoun palace and the Masjed-e Jāme, : The US and Israeli forces struck an ammunition depot in Iran’s Isfahan on March 31. Earlier, UNESCO confirmed damage to the 17th-century Chehel Sotoun palace and the Masjed-e Jāme, the country’s oldest Friday mosque, both located in Isfahan.— According to the UNESCO website, “the Masjed-e Jamé (‘Friday mosque’) can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries, starting in AD 841. It is the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque designs throughout Central Asia.Post Read Questions(1) The Natanz uranium enrichment facility is located in:(a) Russia(b) Israel(c) Iran(d) Ukraine (2) With reference to the places in news, consider the following pairs:1. Ras Laffan Industrial City – Iran2. South Pars gas field – UAEStory continues below this adWhich of the pairs given above is/are correctly marked?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer Key1. (c) 2. (d) Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X