US Considers Using 'Mother of All Bombs' Against Iran

The U.S. military has developed new attack plans targeting Iran, which could include the use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, also known as the "mother of all bombs" (MOAB), against infrastructure and nuclear sites. These plans are contingent on President Donald Trump ordering renewed strikes against the Islamic Republic, potentially before or after the midterm elections, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.

Should the U.S. employ the MOAB in combat against Iran, it would mark a significant escalation. However, sources privy to internal military discussions expressed doubts about the bomb's effectiveness in achieving Trump's stated strategic goals or altering the war's balance. One source indicated that Trump had instructed the military to devise additional strike packages against Iran, including options for "a lot of energy infrastructure" and the potential use of the MOAB.

This source further suggested that the directive implied an attack might occur "before the U.S. withdrawal from the area of responsibility of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)," hinting at a possible strategy of launching strikes, declaring victory, and rapidly withdrawing all forces. Another source stated that military plans for striking Iranian nuclear sites, including the Fordow facility, explicitly call for the use of the MOAB.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Fordow in recent months, which the U.S. and Israel believe is where Tehran stores components of its nuclear program. Despite these plans, questions remain about the MOAB's efficacy against deeply buried Iranian nuclear facilities. While the GPS-guided bomb can devastate an area equivalent to nine city blocks, some officials believe it may lack the penetration capability to destroy hardened targets like those suspected at Fordow, which is reportedly protected by granite layers, or other intact Iranian nuclear sites.

The MOAB has only been used operationally once before, in Afghanistan in 2017, against ISIS tunnels. Developed prior to the Iraq War, with its first test in 2003, the bomb weighs approximately 11 tons of explosives and was dropped from the rear of a C-130 cargo aircraft. The GBU series, including the MOAB, was designed for surface targets rather than bunkers, with its precision enhanced by GPS technology. The MOAB's sole carrier is the Hercules aircraft.