Iran War: US Military Considers ‘Mother of All Bombs’ Strike – CNN

The United States military is preparing for the possibility of using its powerful non-nuclear “Mother of All Bombs” against Iran should President Donald Trump order a resumption of combat, CNN reported Thursday, as the conflict remains at a stalemate.

The report said military planners are considering the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) for potential attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. CNN quoted officials familiar with the plans.

The reported preparations come as Trump faces declining approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections. Recent polling indicates that the war, which has contributed to rising fuel and other prices, is becoming a political liability for his Republican Party.

Efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution to the conflict have made little progress. The war began in February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, while negotiations to end the fighting have remained stalled since the summer.

Despite the military planning, officials have expressed reservations about the bomb’s effectiveness, particularly against suspected Iranian nuclear facilities buried underground.

“The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,” a source familiar with the plans told CNN.

“It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”

Washington and Israel have argued that their military campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran has long rejected claims that it is pursuing such weapons.

There are also concerns that deploying a bomb of this size could result in civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, the US has scaled back military operations in recent weeks, placing greater emphasis on economic pressure as efforts to resolve the conflict continue.

AFP said it had contacted the Pentagon for a response.

The MOAB was previously used by the US military in Afghanistan in 2017 against Islamic State militants occupying a complex of tunnels and bunkers. The attack killed more than 90 militants.

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