US considering “Mother of All Bombs” against Iran, claims report

The US military has developed new strike plans that include the potential use of the “mother of all bombs” against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, either before or after the midterm elections, according to multiple US officials cited by CNN.

Using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, or MOAB—the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal—for the first time in the conflict with Iran would mark a notable escalation.

Multiple sources familiar with internal military planning discussions told CNN there are doubts over how effective it would be in accomplishing any of Trump’s stated strategic objectives or tipping the balance of the war.

Trump is facing pressure to end the deeply unpopular conflict as Republicans brace for potential backlash in the upcoming midterms, with little indication that the two countries are close to a negotiated resolution after more than six months of US bombing.

While the US military continues to provide options for potential strikes against remaining Iranian targets, some officials privately question whether the White House has a strategy that could actually end the war—something only the president can decide.

One source told CNN that Trump ordered the military to develop additional strike packages against Iranian targets that include “a lot of energy infrastructure” and the potential use of a MOAB.

The same source said the phrasing used was that this attack would come “prior to US retrograde in CENTCOM AOR (area of responsibility),” indicating the administration could launch the additional strikes, attempt to declare victory, and quickly pull forces out.

A second source said military plans for striking Iranian nuclear sites, including Pickaxe Mountain, also explicitly call for using the MOAB.

“The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,” a third source familiar with the planning discussions told CNN.

“It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.” Officials noted the GPS-guided bomb can destroy an area equivalent to about nine city blocks but likely lacks the capability to penetrate deep enough under layers of granite to destroy suspected nuclear facilities at sites like Pickaxe.

“POTUS has unfortunately put himself in a situation where he is almost compelled to do something and, without the ammunition designed to penetrate that level … you have to look at psychological effects for which the MOAB is well-equipped,” the source added.

Developed during the Iraq War and first used by Trump in 2017 against Daesh tunnels in Afghanistan, the 21,600-pound MOAB was originally conceived mainly as a psychological operations weapon to rattle enemy forces.

A fourth source described some of the options developed as amounting to a “fireworks show,” aimed at providing Trump an off-ramp even if the strikes fail to achieve the war’s original goals.

White House official said the administration does not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist, adding that “President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

A Pentagon official stated: “The Department of War plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to execute Presidential and Secretary-level direction and to ensure mission success in any operational environment.”

Despite Trump’s recent public pledge not to take new actions before the midterms, several advisers said privately they were unsure whether that statement was definitive.

The US military already appears to be preparing for potential Iranian retaliation, and a troop rotation in the CENTCOM area is expected in the coming weeks.