The U.S. military has drawn up new operational plans targeting Iran's nuclear and energy infrastructure in case President Donald Trump orders a resumption of attacks, according to reports. The plans include the use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, the oversized non-nuclear bomb known as the "mother of all bombs."
CNN reported this on the 15th, local time, citing multiple people familiar with discussions on U.S. military planning, saying the military is preparing for the possibility of additional strikes on Iran around the November midterm elections.
Trump has directed officials to draw up options for further attacks, including on a significant portion of Iran's energy infrastructure, and dropping a MOAB is among the options, the sources told CNN. Plans to strike Iran's underground nuclear facility known as Pickaxe Mountain also specify the use of a MOAB, they said.
Within the military, officials have also discussed declaring victory after further attacks and rapidly withdrawing troops from the Middle East. One source said language was used suggesting the strikes could take place before forces are pulled out of the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command.
The MOAB, weighing about 9.8 tons, is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. It detonates in the air before hitting the ground, delivering a powerful blast across a wide area. It was used in combat for the first time in 2017, during Trump's first term, against an Islamic State stronghold in Afghanistan.
The U.S. military developed the MOAB during the 2003 Iraq War, aiming in part to exert psychological pressure on enemy forces through its sheer destructive power. Military officials said at the time that the force of the explosion alone could induce enemy troops to surrender or abandon the fight.
Analysts say political pressure to end the prolonged war with Iran is behind the review of further attacks involving such powerful weapons. CNN noted that U.S. airstrikes against Iran have continued for more than six months without clear progress in negotiations, and that Republicans are worried about a voter backlash over the war ahead of the November midterms.
Trump has said he will not undertake new military action before the midterms, but some aides do not rule out the possibility that the stance could change.
Even if a MOAB were used, it remains uncertain whether it would achieve its military objectives. The bomb is suited to destroying wide areas at the surface but may lack the penetrating power to destroy the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, which is believed to have been built deep beneath hard granite.
One source familiar with the military planning said that without a weapon capable of reaching deep underground, the U.S. would have no choice but to rely on the psychological effect of the MOAB. That suggests it could serve as an option to apply strong pressure on Iran and break the deadlock in negotiations without a full-scale ground war, though the military impact may be limited.
Concerns have also been raised that using a MOAB against targets close to civilian areas, such as energy facilities, could cause large-scale civilian casualties. The White House said it does not comment on sensitive military planning but added that Trump is keeping all options open to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.