President Donald Trump speaks to Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty. (Newsmax)
President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Thursday the United States might launch another strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, including a heavily fortified site known as Pickaxe Mountain, amid reports that the Pentagon is considering using the powerful conventional weapon known as the “mother of all bombs.”
In an exclusive interview on “Finnerty” from the White House, Trump discussed the possibility of additional military action against Iran while predicting that the war would end soon, either through negotiations or other means.
Asked about reports that he was considering using the “mother of all bombs,” possibly after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Trump said the weapon is not nuclear.
“Well, the mother of all bombs is not nuclear,” Trump said.
Host Rob Finnerty asked, “Not tactical nuclear?”
“No, it’s not nuclear at all. This is just an extremely large bomb,” Trump said.
“It’s like a tiny nuclear bomb. The mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear.”
Trump did not say whether he had authorized the weapon’s use, nor did he identify a potential target.
CNN reported Thursday that the U.S. military has developed plans that include potentially using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if Trump orders renewed combat operations.
CBS News separately confirmed that the White House and Pentagon had prepared plans involving the weapon.
The White House told CBS News that it does not comment on sensitive military plans and that Trump continues to keep all options available to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The MOAB, weighing approximately 21,600 pounds, is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. It was used in combat for the first time in April 2017, during Trump’s first administration, against an Islamic State group tunnel complex in Afghanistan.
Unlike the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a bunker-busting bomb used against deeply buried targets, the MOAB is designed primarily to produce a massive surface blast. CNN reported that officials have questioned whether it could effectively destroy Iranian nuclear facilities buried deep underground.
Trump separately raised the possibility of striking Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear site believed to be buried beneath layers of rock.
“Now, we’re looking at Pickaxe Mountain. We may have to go there,” he said.
“We’ll take a shot at that one. We’ll knock it out fast.”
Asked whether such an operation would involve American ground troops, Trump replied, “No, I don’t see that. I don’t see that.”
The president said the United States had already inflicted severe damage on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure but argued that withdrawing before eliminating the possibility of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons could require further military action later.
“Well, we could. But if we do that within a year we may have to do it again,” Trump said when asked why the United States should not declare victory and withdraw.
“We want to make it so that they will never have a nuclear weapon, because if they had it, they would use it, in my opinion, instantaneously.”
Trump also expressed confidence that the war would end soon, saying Iran was negotiating with Washington.
“The Iran war will be over very soon. It’s going to end very soon,” he said.
“One way or the other, it’s going to end. You know, they are negotiating with us. Yes,” Trump continued.
“But one way or the other, it’ll end very soon. And oil will go dropping like a rock — and gas prices as well.”
Later in the interview, Trump said Iranian officials had requested a halt to American and Israeli military operations.
“They’ve asked us to please stop. And we do, because we’re negotiating with them,” Trump said.
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