Trump Administration Considers Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) Use in Potential Iran Strikes

U.S. military planners have drafted strike options that could employ the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including the suspected Pickaxe Mountain site, if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations. The options could be activated before or after the November 3 midterm elections.

US Weighs ‘Mother of All Bombs’ Against Iran as Trump Seeks Way Out of War: Report

The war that began with U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran in February 2024 has persisted for more than six months without a negotiated settlement. Trump has repeatedly threatened to hit Pickaxe Mountain, which Washington and Israel believe houses components of Iran’s nuclear program. The MOAB was first used in combat on 13 April 2017 in Afghanistan against an ISIS tunnel complex, killing 36 fighters and destroying three tunnels.

YnetNews

• Weight: ~21,600 lb (9.8 tonnes) with an 8,500 kg high-explosive charge.

CNN: US considers using 'mother of all bombs' against Iran.

• Blast radius: Roughly nine city blocks (?1 km).

Al Jazeera (website)

• Delivery: Deployed from a C-130-type cargo aircraft; detonates a few feet above ground.

What is the MOAB bomb and why is it so feared? This is the ‘mother of all bombs’ that has Iran in its sights

• Target depth: Iranian sites such as Pickaxe Mountain are believed to be fortified by layers of granite and located tens of metres underground, beyond the MOAB’s design.

CNN

Using the MOAB would be the first deployment of the bomb against Iran, marking a significant escalation and raising concerns about civilian casualties if strikes target energy facilities near populated areas. Analysts note the weapon’s primary value may be psychological, offering Trump a “spectacular” display that could be sold as a decisive win while avoiding a costly ground invasion. Doubts remain about the bomb’s ability to disable Iran’s nuclear capabilities, potentially leaving the conflict unresolved and risking retaliation.

The Straits Times

• Pentagon official: “The Department of War plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to execute Presidential and Secretary-level direction and to ensure mission success in any operational environment.”

CNN

• Trump publicly said on 8 October that the United States would not resume strikes before the midterms, while advisers privately expressed uncertainty about the firmness of that pledge.

CNN

• Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of covering up the Minab school-strike report that killed over 120 children, calling for his removal.

TruthOut

• Military experts, including Elijah Magnier, describe the MOAB as “an information-operation type weapon” unsuited to destroying deeply buried nuclear facilities.

Al Jazeera (website)

• Some sources emphasize the MOAB’s surface-area destruction capability, while others stress its limited penetration, leaving its effectiveness against fortified underground sites unverified.

Trump's ‘mother of all bombs’ hit on Iran could be a fireworks show

• The timing of any potential strike remains ambiguous: plans are said to be ready for use both before and after the November 3 elections, but no public decision has been announced.

Trump's ‘mother of all bombs’ hit on Iran could be a fireworks show

The Pentagon continues to refine a menu of options ranging from low-intensity strikes to the MOAB. The next rotation of U.S. troops in CENTCOM is expected within the coming weeks, and any decision on renewed combat operations will be weighed against the upcoming midterm elections and the broader diplomatic effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

CNN