October 16, 2026

WASHINGTON – Amid the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, the US military has developed strike plans ​that could include using ‌the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), popularly known ​as the “mother of ​all bombs,” against Iranian energy ⁠infrastructure and nuclear sites ​if President Donald Trump ​orders renewed combat operations.

Citing US officials familiar with the matter, CNN reported that the potential deployment of the largest ‌non-nuclear ⁠bomb in the US arsenal would mark a significant escalation in the ​conflict, ​although ⁠officials familiar with military planning discussions stated that there are doubts over how effective it would be in accomplishing any of Trump’s stated strategic objectives or tipping the balance of the war.

This comes at a time when Trump is facing major pressure to bring an end to the war, with Republicans bracing for potential political backlash from voters in the upcoming midterm elections. Notably, the war began after the US and Israel launched deadly strikes in Iran in February.

However, the existence of such plans does not mean that the US administration has authorised the strike. A White House official told CNN that they do not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist and added, “President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

Further, a Pentagon official said: “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.”

What is the ‘mother of all bombs’?

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. Weighing 21,600 pounds, or roughly 9.8 tonnes, it has been stratigically designed to produce an enormous blast across a wide area.

Unlike a bunker-buster that are designed to penetrate deep underground, the MOAB were reportedly developed during the Iraq War days, with the objective of causing an enormous explosion before hitting the ground.

As per CNN, it is capable to destroy an area equivalent to about nine city blocks, making it suited to large-area targets rather than deeply buried facilities. During the final stages of testing in 2003, military officials told the news outlet that the MOAB was mainly conceived as a weapon employed for “psychological operations” – with its enormous explosion was intended to intimidate enemy forces and pressure them to surrender or avoid fighting.
It was to be used against large formations of troops and equipment or hardened above-ground bunkers.

Trump was the first US President to authorise its use during his maiden term. At that time, the US military dropped a MOAB on an Islamic State tunnel complex in Afghanistan in 2017.

Targeting a network of fortified underground tunnels that ISIS had used to stage attacks on government forces, that attack, as per Afghan officials, killed 36 Islamic State fighters and destroyed weapons and ammunition.