US military weighs use of ‘mother of all bombs’ in future Iran strikes, CNN reports

The United States is contemplating the use of its largest non-nuclear bomb, the Mother of All Bombs (MOAB), against Iran if President Donald Trump decides to resume combat in the ongoing conflict, CNN reported on Thursday. According to the news outlet, officials familiar with the matter suggest that the MOAB could be used to target Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear sites.

This plan comes as President Trump seeks to improve his low approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections, with polls indicating that the unpopular war in Iran, along with rising fuel and other prices, is negatively impacting his Republican Party. Diplomatic attempts to resolve the conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have stalled since the summer.

However, some officials have expressed doubts about the bomb's effectiveness, particularly its capability to destroy suspected underground nuclear facilities in Iran. The MOAB, a high-explosive weapon designed for area clearance, is not intended for deep penetration. The United States and Israel maintain that the war is necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran consistently denies.

Concerns over potential civilian casualties have also arisen, as the US has recently shifted focus towards economic pressure rather than military operations. The MOAB was previously deployed in Afghanistan in 2017 to target Islamic State group hideouts in a tunnel and bunker complex, resulting in the deaths of over 90 militants.