Pentagon may use "mother of all bombs" on Iran, sources say

The White House and Pentagon have reportedly prepared plans to employ a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, colloquially known as the "mother of all bombs," against military targets within Iran should President Trump issue the order, according to sources close to the situation. A representative from the Pentagon affirmed to CBS News, "The Department of Defense has envisioned a broad spectrum of operational scenarios to fulfill presidential or secretary level commands and guarantee mission success in any operational setting."

The current tension emerged shortly after President Trump voiced his intention not to strike Iran prior to the mid-term elections, despite claiming fruitful discussions with Iranian officials, though he refrained from disclosing any specifics. CNN was the first news outlet to disclose on Thursday the anticipated plans to utilize the MOAB on Iran.

The administration's approach echoes the precedent set by President Trump in 2017, when the extraordinary weapon was deployed to obliterate an Islamic State cave network in Afghanistan.

Weighing upwards of 30,000 pounds and costing $170,000 per unit, the bomb stands as the largest non-nuclear ordnance in U.S. arsenal. This unfolding narrative is currently undergoing updates.