Updated

Iranian military and political officials issued a wave of defiant statements after US President Donald Trump renewed threats against what Al-Monitor described as 'Pickaxe Mountain,' a reference believed to target Iran's Fordow nuclear facility, as of October 17, 2026. Iran's caretaker Defense Minister Brigadier General Majid Ebn al-Reza warned that renewed military action would carry consequences for Washington's economy and political standing, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's missile and defense capabilities were built on the foundations of its schools and universities and that US sanctions were 'inhumane' but would not force Iran to submit. IRGC commanders reinforced the defiant tone, with Major General Mostafa Izadi saying Iranian forces would 'never allow' the enemy to seize Iranian soil, the Army's Ground Force calling any ground aggression an 'unattainable dream,' and an IRGC spokesman mocking the naming of a US bomb 'Mother' as the act of a 'barbaric civilization.' Separately, Al-Monitor reported that Tehran remains caught in a 'diplomatic paralysis,' with former officials pushing for a deal with Washington while hardliners and military commanders continue to favor confrontation, exposing a deep rift over the direction of Iran's foreign policy.