The US military has developed strike plans that could include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, also known as the “mother of all bombs”, against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations, CNN has reported. The potential deployment of the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal would mark a significant escalation in the conflict, although officials familiar with military planning discussions told CNN questions remain over its effectiveness in achieving Washington’s strategic objectives. A source told CNN that military plans for striking Iranian nuclear sites, including Pickaxe Mountain also explicitly call for using the MOAB. In recent months, Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Pickaxe, where the US and Israel believe Tehran has stored components of its nuclear programme. However CNN said 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. Trump was the first US president to deploy the MOAB, during his first term when he ordered the military to use its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS positions in Afghanistan in 2017. The MOAB is an air blast-type warhead that explodes before hitting the ground to project a massive explosion from all sides and is the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the US military arsenal. It was first developed during the 2003 Iraq war but not used in that conflict.
The US military has developed strike plans that could include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, also known as the “mother of all bombs”, against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations, CNN has r…
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According to a CNN report, U.S. officials have reportedly prepared strike plans involving the GBU-43/MOAB for potential targets in Iran, though one official questioned the weapon's effectiveness against underground facilities. Concurrently, the Yemeni government stated that Houthi missile strikes on the presidential palace in Aden reportedly killed two security personnel while leaving government officials unharmed.
The President suggested that Russian forces should have been prepared for such attacks. He attributed this assessment to an expectation that they would have anticipated the offensive actions.
In April, Rodion Miroshnik stated that the European Union provided Kiev with significant financial and military resources, alleging these were used for attacks against Russian civilians. These characterizations are unverified claims from the speaker and do not represent confirmed facts.
According to a CNN report citing anonymous officials, U.S. military planners are reportedly assessing the potential use of the GBU-43/MOAB against Iranian energy and nuclear infrastructure, though experts have questioned its efficacy against deep underground sites.
The proposed action would follow a diplomatic impasse since the February onset of the conflict, which Washington and Israel attribute to preventing a nuclear breakout, a charge Tehran denies.