The US military has drawn up additional strike options that could involve deploying the so-called "mother of all bombs" against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities if US President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, either before or after the US midterm elections, according to multiple US officials familiar with the plans, reports CNN.
The weapon under consideration is the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. Using it for the first time in the conflict with Iran would represent a significant escalation.
However, officials familiar with internal military discussions have questioned whether the weapon would be effective in advancing Trump's stated objectives or materially changing the course of the war.
Trump faces mounting pressure to end the deeply unpopular conflict as Republicans prepare for possible voter backlash in the upcoming midterm elections. More than six months of US bombing have produced little indication that Washington and Tehran are close to reaching a negotiated settlement.
The military continues to present Trump with options for striking remaining Iranian targets. However, some officials have privately questioned whether the White House has a broader strategy connecting those potential operations to a viable way of ending the war. Only the president has the authority to make that decision.
For months, Trump and his advisers have considered ways to bring the conflict to what they could portray as a "definitive" conclusion, particularly in public messaging, amid growing opposition to the war among Americans.
Some administration officials have described the war as effectively won. Trump, however, has been more cautious in his recent public statements, declining to declare victory and maintaining that the US still has unfinished business in Iran.
Behind closed doors, Trump has also expressed doubts about advice from some foreign allies urging him to withdraw US troops and move on. He has argued that such a withdrawal would be perceived as a defeat.
White House advisers have held meetings in recent weeks to consider different courses of action toward Iran.
Although Trump publicly said he would not launch new operations before the midterm elections, several advisers privately acknowledged uncertainty over whether that position was final or could change before Election Day.
One source familiar with the plans told CNN that Trump had directed the military to prepare additional strike packages against Iranian targets, including extensive energy infrastructure, with the possible use of a MOAB.
According to the source, the proposed timing was described as "prior to US retrograde in CENTCOM AOR (area of responsibility)". That wording suggests the administration could carry out further strikes, seek to declare victory and then withdraw US forces from the region.
A second source told CNN that military plans for attacks on Iranian nuclear sites also explicitly include the possible use of a MOAB. Those targets include Pickaxe Mountain, where the US and Israel believe Iran has stored components of its nuclear programme.
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain, despite pausing full combat operations earlier this year. He has continued to stress that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a central US objective.