U.S. Considers Using ‘Mother of All Bombs’ Against Iran’s Energy and Nuclear Sites

The United States has reportedly developed contingency plans to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear sites with the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal, should President Donald Trump order renewed combat operations, according to US officials cited by CNN.

Deploying the MOAB, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” could significantly escalate the ongoing conflict at a time when fighting has lulled, experts say. Concerns have been raised, including within the Trump administration, over the potential effectiveness of such a move. Officials familiar with military planning discussions told US news outlets that using the MOAB might not achieve the US’s stated strategic goals, including the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Brussels-based military expert Elijah Magnier warned that the MOAB may not even guarantee the destruction of Iran’s deeply buried underground nuclear installations. He suggested that such a strike could amount to little more than “political theatre.”

The GBU-43/B MOAB is a massive munition containing about 8,500kg (18,000 pounds or 8.5 tonnes) of high explosives. It weighs 9,800kg (21,605 pounds or nearly 10 tonnes) – about the same as four saloon cars – and is as long as a small yacht at just over 9 metres (about 30 feet).

The MOAB is typically deployed from the Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft because it cannot fit in a stealth bomber. The bomb, first manufactured between 2002 and 2003, has undergone 12 detonation tests.

Its name is a reference to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s comments during the 1991 Gulf War when he invoked the “mother of all battles.” The US has only deployed the MOAB once before – during its 2017 attacks on an Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) cave and tunnel complex in Afghanistan. Afghan authorities claimed that while 94 Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) fighters were killed in the blast, no civilians were hurt. However, there were unconfirmed, local reports of civilian casualties and many homes were destroyed.

Designed to explode a few feet above the ground, the MOAB sends out lethal waves of fire when it detonates, blasting away buildings, cave openings and other hard-surface structures.

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