U.S. Military Develops New Strike Plans Against Iran Including MOAB Use
The U.S. military has drafted new strike plans against Iran, potentially utilizing the MOAB "mother of all bombs" against nuclear sites if ordered by President Donald Trump.
The United States military has developed new strike plans against Iran, which include the potential use of the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), known as the "mother of all bombs," to target infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed attacks. According to U.S. officials familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN, employing the GBU-43/B—the largest non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal—would mark a significant escalation.
Strategic Doubts and Targeting
Sources familiar with internal military discussions expressed doubts regarding the bomb's effectiveness in achieving Trump's stated strategic objectives or altering the balance of the conflict. One official noted that Trump directed the military to develop additional strike packages targeting extensive energy infrastructure, with wording suggesting operations could occur before a broader U.S. withdrawal from the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
Another source confirmed that military plans targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, explicitly call for utilizing the MOAB. Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Fordow, where Tehran has allegedly stored nuclear program components deep underground.
Limitations of the MOAB
Despite its massive explosive yield—carrying approximately 11 tons of explosives and capable of destroying an area equivalent to nine urban blocks—analysts question its capability to penetrate deeply fortified subterranean structures. Facilities such as those at Fordow are protected by thick layers of granite rock, limiting the effectiveness of a surface-burst weapon originally designed to clear surface targets rather than hardened underground bunkers.
The MOAB has seen only one previous combat use, deployed in Afghanistan in 2017 against ISIS tunnel networks.
