Trump Weighs Using America’s Largest Non-Nuclear Bomb

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a major military strike against Iran that could involve the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, known as the MOAB or “mother of all bombs.”

According to CNN reporting based on sources familiar with the discussions, the Pentagon has developed plans that could include deploying the 21,600-pound weapon against Iranian targets.

The discussions occur amid efforts to end a six-month conflict, with officials examining options to pressure Tehran without a prolonged engagement.

Potential targets include energy infrastructure and nuclear sites such as Pickaxe Mountain.

Sources indicated that strikes on “a lot of energy infrastructure” form part of a strategy to compel Iran toward an end to hostilities.

The plans would activate if Trump orders combat to resume and could precede a U.S. pullback from the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

The MOAB weighs over 30 feet in length and can only be delivered from the cargo hold of an MC-130 special operations aircraft, where a parachute extracts it on a pallet before GPS guidance directs it to the target.

Its blast yield is roughly equivalent to 11 tons of TNT, and it was used once in combat against an ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan in 2017.

Military sources noted limitations, stating that the weapon is “a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else” and “definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”

One source told CNN, “POTUS has unfortunately put himself in a situation where he is almost compelled to do something and, without the ammunition designed to penetrate that level … you have to look at psychological effects for which the MOAB is well-equipped.”

Iran’s fortified sites beneath rock layers raise questions about effectiveness against deeply buried facilities, with concerns also noted about surface blast effects near populated areas.

Trump has indicated he does not intend additional attacks before the November midterm elections, while officials explore alternatives such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

A White House official stated, “President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

The Pentagon declined to confirm specific operational details.