President Donald Trump is considering allowing the military to use the “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB) while striking targets in Iran.
The president has suggested there won’t be any military action against the regime before the midterm elections in November. But the Pentagon is developing new plans for future strikes, according to CNN.
The US military has developed new strike plans that include potentially using the so-called “mother of all bombs” to target Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites should President Donald Trump give the order to resume combat operations either before or after the midterm elections, according to multiple US officials familiar with the matter.
Using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb or MOAB, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, for the first time in the conflict with Iran would mark a notable escalation, even though there are doubts over how effective it would be in accomplishing any of Trump’s stated strategic objectives or tipping the balance of the war, multiple sources familiar with internal military planning discussions about potentially deploying the weapon said.
Trump is facing pressure to bring an end to the deeply unpopular war — as Republicans brace for potential political backlash from voters in the upcoming midterm elections and there is little indication the two countries are close to a negotiated resolution after more than six months of US bombing.
While the US military continues to provide Trump with options for potential strikes against outstanding Iranian targets, some officials continue to privately question whether the White House has a strategy that incorporates those plans in a way that could actually end the war — something only the president has the power to do.
For months, Trump and his advisers have discussed options that could act as a “definitive” end to the war, at least from a messaging point of view, aware of how unpopular the conflict has become among Americans.
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New: The US military has developed fresh strike plans that include potentially using the so-called “mother of all bombs” to target Iranian energy infrastructure & nuclear sites should Trump give the order to resume combat operations either before or after the midterm elections, multiple officials tell me, @halbritz & @Kevinliptakcnn. https://t.co/ghUIHrKAG3
— Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) October 15, 2026
The president instructed the military to come up with plans to strike at Iranian infrastructure using a MOAB. A source told CNN that Iranian nuclear sites could become targets. This includes Pickaxe Mountain, a site believed to house nuclear components.
However, some have expressed doubts about whether the MOAB could turn the tide in the war.
But there are questions around whether the MOAB would be an effective munition to use against Iran’s nuclear facilities and other sites that are located deep underground. While the GPS-guided bomb is capable of destroying an area equivalent to nine city blocks, it likely lacks the capability to penetrate deep enough under the surface to destroy the suspected nuclear facilities at Pickaxe, which is believed to be fortified by layers of granite, and other remaining Iranian nuclear sites, sources said.
“The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,” a third source familiar with military planning discussions around Iran told CNN. “It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”
“A [source] told CNN that military plans for striking Iranian nuclear sites, including Pickaxe Mountain, also explicitly call for using the MOAB.” […] “But there are questions around whether the MOAB would be an effective munition to use against Iran’s nuclear facilities and other sites that are located deep underground. While the GPS-guided bomb is capable of destroying an area equivalent to nine city blocks, it likely lacks the capability to penetrate deep enough under the surface to destroy the suspected nuclear facilities at Pickaxe, which is believed to be fortified by layers of granite, and other remaining Iranian nuclear sites, sources said.”
— Andrea Stricker (@StrickerNonpro) October 15, 2026
Another source told CNN that the president could employ the MOAB as a psychological offensive, given the regime’s refusal to give in. They said Trump “has unfortunately put himself in a situation where he is almost compelled to do something and, without the ammunition designed to penetrate that level … you have to look at psychological effects for which the MOAB is well-equipped.”
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