US Considers Using "Mother of All Bombs" in New Iran Strikes — Report

WASHINGTON — The US military has drawn up new strike plans that include the possible use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb — better known as the "mother of all bombs" (MOAB) — against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, should President Donald Trump order a resumption of combat operations, CNN reported on Thursday, citing multiple US officials familiar with the planning.

Deploying the MOAB, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal, for the first time in the Iran conflict would mark a significant escalation of a war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 and has been at a diplomatic standstill since the summer.

According to CNN's reporting, the military is preparing for the possibility of additional strikes on Iran around the November midterm elections, with plans developed for activation either before or after the vote. Trump has directed officials to draw up options for further attacks, including on a significant portion of Iran's energy infrastructure.

The plans explicitly name the suspected underground nuclear facility known as "Pickaxe Mountain," where Washington and Israel believe Tehran has stored components of its nuclear program. In recent months, Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike the site.

Officials familiar with the internal discussions questioned whether the MOAB could achieve Washington's objectives. While the GPS-guided bomb can devastate an area equivalent to nine city blocks, sources told CNN it likely lacks the penetrating power to destroy Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be fortified beneath layers of granite.

One source characterized the weapon as an area-clearance device rather than a deep-penetration munition, while another suggested the MOAB could still be used for its psychological effect. The weapon has been used in combat only once — in 2017, when the US dropped it on an ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan.

The report lands amid a difficult moment for the administration's Iran policy. The war remains deeply unpopular with American voters, and Republicans are bracing for political fallout in the upcoming midterm elections. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been stalled since the summer, and Washington has in recent weeks dialed back military operations in favor of economic pressure, according to AFP.

A US official told CNN that the military routinely prepares a range of options for policymakers, "from high-end to low-end" — and for hardened underground targets, the MOAB is simply the biggest bomb available.

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