The United States is considering a “mother of all bombs” Iran strike option that could be used against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, CNN reported on Thursday, citing US officials familiar with the matter. The plans would include the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb and would only be activated if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations against Iran.
FAKTA: Key Facts
- The weapon: the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal.
- Reported targets: Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including the Pickaxe Mountain site.
- Condition: use only if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations.
- Status: plans are under discussion; no decision to use the bomb has been confirmed.
- Effectiveness doubts: officials cited by CNN questioned whether the bomb would achieve Washington’s strategic objectives.
- Independent verification: Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.
What the Reported “Mother of All Bombs” Iran Plans Include
According to CNN, Trump has 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, one source said. The same source said the phrasing used inside the administration was that such an attack could come “prior to US retrograde in CENTCOM AOR (area of responsibility)” — language suggesting Washington could launch the strikes, declare victory and withdraw forces quickly. A second source said military plans for striking Iranian nuclear sites, including Pickaxe Mountain, explicitly call for using the MOAB. In recent months, Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike that site, where the United States believes Tehran has stored nuclear program components.
A Weapon Used in Combat Only Once Before
The GBU-43/B is one of the most powerful conventional weapons in the US arsenal, designed to produce an enormous blast across a wide area. Unlike nuclear weapons, it relies on conventional explosives, and it is best suited to surface-level, wide-area targets rather than deeply buried facilities. The bomb has been used in combat only once before: in Afghanistan in 2017, where it targeted a tunnel complex used by Islamic State militants. Its potential use against Iran would mark a major escalation in the scale of American military operations.
Escalation Concerns and Unanswered Questions
The reported planning comes as tensions remain high. Trump has publicly said he would take no new action before the midterms, though advisers cited in the report said privately they did not know whether that statement was definitive. Administration figures have described the earlier phase of the confrontation as essentially won, but Trump himself has been more guarded, saying the United States still has unfinished business with Iran. Even among officials involved in the planning, questions remain over whether deploying the largest non-nuclear bomb in the arsenal would achieve Washington’s strategic objectives — particularly against Iran’s most sensitive nuclear facilities, which are buried deep underground. The report, which Reuters said it could not immediately verify, nonetheless underscores how far planning has gone toward a potential renewed campaign.
