US plans include possible use of MOAB bomb in Iran, CNN and CBS report
In short
US officials have prepared options that include using a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb against Iran if President Donald Trump orders renewed strikes, CNN and CBS News reported. The reports describe contingency planning; Trump said last week that the United States would not attack Iran before the midterm elections.
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US military planning for possible renewed strikes on Iran includes the option of using a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, CNN and CBS News reported on October 15, citing officials and sources familiar with the matter. Both accounts described plans that would depend on an order from President Donald Trump. [ 1 , 6 ]
CNN said the new options included strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. CBS reported that the White House and Pentagon had prepared plans to use the weapon against military sites. CNN said its use in the conflict would mark an escalation, while sources familiar with internal planning discussions questioned whether it would achieve Trump's strategic objectives or change the balance of the war. [ 1 , 6 ]
CNBC relayed CNN's account but said it had not independently confirmed the report. An official told CNBC that the defence department plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to carry out presidential and secretary-level direction. CBS reported a similar statement from a Pentagon official about planning across operational scenarios. [ 4 , 6 ]
Trump said the previous week that he would not order a resumption of military strikes before the November 3 midterm elections, CNBC reported. CBS said he had also described conversations with Iran as productive without providing specifics. CNN reported that officials continued to offer strike options while some privately questioned whether the administration had a strategy that could end the war. [ 1 , 4 , 6 ]
The bomb, commonly nicknamed the mother of all bombs, is a non-nuclear airburst weapon designed to affect surface targets across a wide area, CNBC reported. It said the United States had not used it in earlier strikes inside Iran. CNBC and CBS reported that it was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during Trump's previous administration. [ 4 , 6 ]
Why it matters
CNN reported that using the weapon would mark an escalation, while sources questioned its strategic effectiveness. Any deployment described in the plans remains dependent on a presidential order.
Key facts
- CNN and CBS reported plans for possible use of a MOAB bomb in Iran, subject to Trump's order. [ 1 , 6 ]
- CNN said potential targets included Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites; CBS referred to military sites. [ 1 , 6 ]
- Trump said last week that strikes would not resume before the midterm elections. [ 4 , 6 ]
- The weapon was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during Trump's previous administration. [ 4 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Trump will order strikes involving the weapon remains uncertain. The reports describe plans conditional on an order, rather than an announced deployment decision.
- The weapon's ability to achieve the administration's strategic objectives is questioned. CNN cited sources familiar with planning discussions who expressed doubts about its effectiveness.