US weighs ‘mother of all bombs’ option as Iran refuses to end war
The United States is reportedly considering the use of its GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb if military strikes against Iran resume, according to a CNN report cited by CNBC on 15 October. The possibility signals that Washington is maintaining options for a potential escalation even as President Donald Trump has said he would not restart strikes before the US midterm elections on 3 November.
CNBC said it had not independently verified CNN’s report, which cited multiple US officials familiar with the planning. The US Department of Defence told CNBC that it plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to carry out presidential and defence-secretary directives. That statement did not confirm that the MOAB had been selected for use.
The 21,600-pound weapon, commonly nicknamed the “mother of all bombs”, is a conventional airburst munition designed to affect targets across a wide area. The US military used it in Afghanistan in 2017, but CNBC reported that it had not previously been used in US strikes inside Iran. The reported inclusion of the bomb in contingency planning is not evidence that an attack has been authorised or that deployment is imminent.
The reported plans come amid a broader escalation across the Middle East. Two commercial vessels sank near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, according to Reuters, while attacks attributed to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement have increased pressure on Saudi Arabia. These developments threaten a major shipping corridor and add to uncertainty over energy supplies and prices.
CNN’s reporting, carried by other outlets, indicates that the potential targets include Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. However, the military value of deploying the MOAB is disputed. The weapon produces extensive blast effects at the surface; it is not, by itself, a guarantee of destroying deeply buried nuclear facilities. Some officials reportedly questioned whether its use would advance Washington’s stated war objectives.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would combine military capabilities, defensive measures, negotiations and regional leverage to pursue its demands. Iranian officials have previously called for the lifting of US sanctions and the naval blockade, as well as the withdrawal of American forces from the region.
The political timing adds another layer. Trump has said he would not resume strikes before the 3 November midterm elections, while rising energy costs and the conflict’s domestic economic consequences have increased pressure on the administration. But the reported planning does not establish whether that timetable will hold.
The key question is whether the threat of a more powerful strike can change Tehran’s calculations—or whether deploying such a weapon would widen the conflict without delivering the strategic results Washington seeks. For now, the MOAB remains a reported contingency option, not a confirmed operational decision.
Sources
- CNBC — US reportedly considers use of ‘mother of all bombs’ as Iran vows to fight on
- Reuters — US military weighs use of ‘mother of all bombs’ in potential future strikes on Iran
- CNN report, via KRDO — US considering using ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iran
- Al Jazeera — What is the ‘Mother of All Bombs’ the US could use in Iran?
- US Air Force — MOAB used against an Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan in 2017
