The White House and Pentagon have prepared plans to use a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb on military sites in Iran if ordered by President Donald Trump, CBS News reported. CNN first reported Thursday on the planning for the weapon, known as the MOAB.
The proposal involves the possible use of the GBU-43/B, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” according to CNN, citing multiple U.S. officials. CNBC described it as a 21,600-pound airburst weapon designed for surface targets over a wide area, noting it has not been used in previous U.S. strikes inside Iran and was used in Afghanistan in 2017.
A Pentagon official said the Defense Department plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to carry out presidential and secretary-level direction. A White House spokesperson declined to discuss sensitive military plans and said Trump keeps all options on the table to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump said last week he would not resume strikes before the Nov. 3 midterm elections and cited productive conversations with Iran.
Tensions remain elevated after the sinking of a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and fatal attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a televised address late Wednesday that Iran should combine military capabilities, negotiations and regional leverage to push Washington to accept its demands, which have included lifting the naval blockade and sanctions and withdrawing U.S. forces.