Şahin Demir
22 July 2026•Update: 22 July 2026
The US has informed Israel of plans to intensify its military offensive against Iran in the coming days, including the use of heavy bombers to strike the Pickaxe Mountain site near the city of Qom, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
According to The Times of Israel news portal, the planned operation would mark the first deployment of US heavy bombers against Iran since this year’s joint US-Israeli military campaign.
The paper said the bombers are expected to target the Pickaxe Mountain site in central Iran, citing repeated warnings by US President Donald Trump over the past week that the area would be hit “pretty soon.”
The outlet said Washington notified Israel in advance as part of close security coordination between the two allies.
The report said the advance notice was intended to allow Israel to prepare for a possible Iranian response, including missile attacks on Israeli territory, following any escalation in US strikes.
According to the newspaper, Israel has raised its military readiness to its highest level in anticipation of possible Iranian retaliation.
Neither the White House nor the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office immediately commented on the report.
The reported plans come amid heightened tensions after Trump warned in recent days that the US would target Iranian infrastructure if Tehran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US has been carrying out a series of strikes across Iran since last week, while Tehran has responded with strikes targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the US military in several countries across the region.
The exchange of fire has continued despite a Pakistani-brokered framework agreement signed by the US and Iran in June to end the war that began in February and pave the way for a lasting peace deal.
