US has drawn up plans to use ‘mother of all bombs’ on Iran, CNN reports
The US military has drawn up new strike plans against Iran that include the possible use of the GBU-43/B “mother of all bombs”, the largest non-nuclear weapon in the American arsenal, if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations. The US MOAB Iran strike plans remain contingency options prepared for the president, not an approved bombing operation, according to multiple US officials who spoke to CNN. Reuters also carried the account, noting it could not independently verify the report.
The development marks a notable turn in a war that has run for more than six months with no settlement in sight. Our newsroom has been tracking the wider fallout, as renewed American threats have already sent oil prices lower.
What the US MOAB Iran strike plans would target
The plans cover Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. Trump has directed the military to prepare strike packages against “a lot of energy infrastructure”, one source told CNN. One possible target is Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz, where American and Israeli officials believe Tehran has moved nuclear programme components deep underground.
The strikes could come before or after the November 3 midterm elections, despite Trump’s recent promise to hold off renewed military action until after voters went to the polls. Trump had earlier ruled out an attack before the midterms, and the new planning raises fresh questions about that promise.
Why officials doubt the bomb would work
The weapon’s limits are as notable as its size. The GBU-43/B weighs roughly 21,000 pounds, with a warhead carrying about 18,700 pounds of explosives, and it detonates above the ground to spread a huge blast. It is not a bunker-buster: it cannot drill through thick rock or reinforced concrete to reach installations buried deep underground.
Officials familiar with the planning questioned whether the bomb could reach facilities beneath Pickaxe Mountain or deliver the results Trump wants. Its use near populated areas would also carry serious civilian risks. Military analyst Elijah Magnier said it could devastate exposed targets without eliminating buried facilities or forcing concessions from Tehran.
The bomb’s only combat use came in April 2017, when the US dropped it on an Islamic State tunnel network in Afghanistan. It has not been used in combat since.
A possible endgame: one last strike, then withdrawal
One source described a scenario in which the strikes would come “prior to US retrograde in CENTCOM AOR”, military shorthand for pulling American forces out of the region. The picture painted is a final round of strikes, a declared victory, and then a drawdown of US forces from the Middle East.
The timing is political as much as military. Trump is under pressure to end a deeply unpopular war, with Republicans braced for voter backlash in the midterms. While Russia’s president has offered to help end the war, and Iran’s president says a peace deal is not out of reach, the deadlock has kept oil markets on edge.
What Trump and the White House say
Trump did not confirm the plans when asked about them on Thursday. “It’s not nuclear at all,” he said in a Newsmax interview. “This is just an extremely large bomb. It’s like a tiny nuclear bomb. The ‘Mother of All Bombs’ is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear.” He did not say whether he had authorised the weapon’s use, and he identified no target.
The White House also declined to confirm the reporting. An official told CNN that Trump “keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon”, while refusing to comment on military plans that may or may not exist.
*Source: ProPakistani*
FAQs
Is the US about to bomb Iran with the MOAB?
No. The plans are contingency options the military prepared in case President Trump orders a resumption of combat operations. The operation has not been approved, and Reuters noted it could not independently verify the CNN report.
What is the “mother of all bombs”?
The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. It weighs about 21,000 pounds and was used in combat only once, in Afghanistan in 2017.
What would the targets be?
Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, possibly including Pickaxe Mountain near the Natanz nuclear facility. Officials have questioned whether the bomb could penetrate the deeply buried, granite-protected facilities.
What has Trump said about the plans?
Trump said the weapon is not nuclear and called it “one big bomb”, but he did not say whether he had authorised its use or identify any target.
When could the strikes happen?
Before or after the November 3 midterms, according to CNN’s sources, despite Trump’s promise to hold off renewed action until after the vote.
