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U.S. Drafts MOAB Strike Plans for Iran Targets

By Drooid · Oct 15, 2026, 11:18 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Trump vows strike pause

U.S. military officials drafted plans to use the GBU-43/B MOAB against Iranian energy and nuclear sites.
President Donald Trump has publicly said he will not order new strikes before the November 3 midterm elections, though advisers doubt the stance.
A White House official said the president is keeping all options on table regarding Iran.
The draft specifically lists Pickaxe Mountain in Natanz as a nuclear-related target.

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Midterm Timing Push

U.S. military officials drafted plans to employ the GBU-43/B MOAB against Iran’s energy and nuclear sites, if President Donald Trump orders.
Analysts warn the MOAB’s massive surface blast could cause civilian casualties.
Planners note the MOAB cannot reach underground sites such as Pickaxe Mountain.
The bomb was created for psychological operations intended to intimidate enemy troops.
Source said strikes could launch before CENTCOM’s withdrawal, for a win before November midterms.

History

Historical Context

In April 2017 the United States dropped the 9,800-kg GBU-43/B MOAB on an IS-Khorasan tunnel complex in Achin, Afghanistan, killing roughly 94 militants. The bomb, first tested in 2003 as the most powerful conventional weapon, was used during Operation Hamza after the group’s 2015 emergence. Planners now cite that 2017 strike as a precedent while drafting MOAB options against Iran’s Natanz nuclear site.

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Trump vows strike pause

U.S. military officials drafted plans to use the GBU-43/B MOAB against Iranian energy and nuclear sites.
President Donald Trump has publicly said he will not order new strikes before the November 3 midterm elections, though advisers doubt the stance.
A White House official said the president is keeping all options on table regarding Iran.
The draft specifically lists Pickaxe Mountain in Natanz as a nuclear-related target.

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