The U.S. military has developed plans for potential strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure that could include deploying the “Mother of All Bombs,” the largest non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal, if President Donald Trump authorizes renewed attacks, according to a report Thursday.
The Pentagon has prepared additional strike options at Trump’s direction, including the possible use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, CNN reported, citing “multiple U.S. officials familiar” with the planning.
One source said the proposed targets include “a lot of energy infrastructure,” with potential strikes envisioned before an American military withdrawal from the region.
Another said the plans contemplate using the massive weapon against Iranian nuclear facilities, including Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground complex near Natanz that has drawn scrutiny over concerns Tehran could use it to conceal nuclear activities.
However, military officials have raised questions about whether the bomb, designed to devastate large surface areas rather than penetrate deeply buried structures, could effectively destroy facilities protected by hundreds of feet of granite.
“The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,” a source familiar with the plans told the outlet.
“It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead,” the source added.
Unlike the specialized bunker-busting bombs previously deployed against Iranian nuclear facilities, the approximately 21,600-pound MOAB is designed primarily for widespread blast effects. It was first used in combat in April 2017, when the U.S. military targeted an Islamic State tunnel complex in Afghanistan during Trump’s first administration:
The reported planning comes as Iran continues to fortify its underground nuclear infrastructure amid uncertainty over the future of the conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in February.
Despite the preparations, there is no indication Trump has authorized another round of attacks. The president has previously pledged to refrain from renewed strikes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
“President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” a White House official told CNN.
A Pentagon spokesperson similarly said the Department of War plans for a broad range of operational scenarios to carry out presidential and senior military directives.
The revelations come as Trump has repeatedly predicted an imminent end to the conflict while warning that Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions.
“We’re going to knock this Iran thing off fast. It’s going to be over very quickly,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Montana on Wednesday.
The president also touted the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities, declaring that the country no longer possesses an effective navy or air force and that successive layers of its leadership have been eliminated.
“They don’t have a navy,” Trump said. “They don’t have an air force. Their leaders are gone.”
At a separate rally in Arizona, Trump quipped that the elimination of so many Iranian leaders had left Washington uncertain about whom it was negotiating with.
“So I probably went a little too far. I’m sorry, because I don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore, but that’s going to end very soon,” he said.
Trump has maintained that the conflict will conclude quickly, declaring that it will end “one way or the other.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.