Trump Warns Iran Against Nuclear Activity Amid Escalating Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

Huo Xing Finance reports: On September 9, local time, U.S. President Trump warned Iran not to conduct further activities at the suspected nuclear site "Pickaxe Mountain," threatening that the U.S. would respond "very forcefully" if it did. Trump stated that the U.S. had observed recent "activity" at the location. Latest satellite image analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows that road activity at Pickaxe Mountain reached an all-time high this year, with clear increases in construction activity; the site may now have shifted from underground excavation to internal construction and perimeter reinforcement. The location is only about 2 kilometers from the heavily damaged Natanz nuclear facility, but CSIS has been unable to confirm whether Iran has relocated nuclear equipment such as centrifuges there. Meanwhile, tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate. Iran claims to have launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan and attacked ten vessels near the Strait of Hormuz; the U.S. Central Command, in turn, stated it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to two ballistic missile attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on U.S. warships. The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of global oil shipments, and the series of attacks have raised market concerns over supply disruptions. Brent crude briefly rose above $100 per barrel and is currently trading at $99.19. Trump also stated that a U.S.-Iran war may not end until after the November midterm elections and claimed Iran "cannot hold out much longer."