The US military has drawn up new strike plans that include the possible use of the country’s largest non-nuclear bomb against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, as President Donald Trump weighs his options for ending the conflict, CNN reported on October 15, citing multiple US officials familiar with the military planning.
The weapon has not been used in the current conflict, and its deployment would mark a significant escalation in the US military campaign. The planning comes as Trump faces pressure to end a war that has become unpopular among American voters ahead of the midterm elections . Despite months of US bombing, Washington and Tehran remain far from a negotiated settlement, while administration officials continue to explore options that could allow the president to claim a victory and withdraw US forces. Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain, where the US and Israel believe Iran has stored components of its nuclear program. The president has maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a central objective of the campaign . The president has resisted calls to withdraw US troops without securing what he considers a meaningful outcome, arguing that such a move could be seen as a defeat. At the same time, officials have privately questioned whether the administration has a strategy capable of translating further military action into a lasting resolution.
The plans include deploying the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), commonly known as the “mother of all bombs”, against targets in Iran if Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, according to the CNN report. Trump has directed the military to develop additional strike packages targeting Iranian sites, including energy infrastructure, according to CNN. One US official told the network that the plans were framed around carrying out the strikes before a withdrawal of US forces from the US Central Command’s area of responsibility. One source familiar with the military discussions described the weapon as better suited to clearing large areas than penetrating hardened underground targets, according to CNN. A White House official told CNN that the administration does not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist, adding: “President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
