US President Donald Trump has ordered the military to draw up plans to potentially use a 9,800kg bomb — dubbed the “mother of all bombs” — on Iran, it is believed
Donald Trump is reportedly considering using one of the US’s biggest bombs against Iran(Image: Getty Images)
The US is considering pulling out the biggest non-nuclear bomb it has — dubbed the “mother of all bombs” — to use against Iran, it is reported.
Donald Trump is said to be weighing up his options to set up his war with Iran around the all-important US midterm elections. The US military is said to have drawn up new plans which include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nicknamed the “mother of all bombs”, for the first time in this conflict with Tehran.
This could happen if Trump decides to reignite combat operations against Iran, as the war becomes one of the main talking points in the US ahead of the elections.
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The President has reportedly called on the military to create several new strike option plans against Iran with a potential targets including “a lot of energy infrastructure”, a source told CNN.
Another part of these apparent plans is the use of the “mother of all bombs”. The grandiose nickname came after former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein described the Gulf War as “the mother of all battles” in January 1991.
A second source, speaking to CNN, claimed some military plans on targeting Iranian nuclear sites, including the Pickaxe Mountain, specifically mentioned using the MOAB.
This GPS-guided bomb has the capacity to destroy buildings, people and systems in a 900m radius of an explosive blast. The huge weapon is 9m long and weighs a 9,800kg — equivalent to four small cars.
It carries around 8,500kg of explosives and is designed to explode a few metres about the ground. The MOAB, when it detonates, send out deadly waves of fire and can blast away buildings and even cave openings.
Some military sources however have questioned whether the MOAB would be effective in Trump’s war as Iran’s nuclear facilities and other military sites are often located underground.
A source, according to CNN, said: “The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else. It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”
This comes after reports claimed Iran has threatened to launch ground invasions of neighbouring countries allied to the US if Trump continues the conflict.
Iranian officials reportedly fortified military and nuclear sites along its borders with several nations that have backed Trump since the war started back in February. Iran has also reportedly rallied regime loyalists and is threatening to widen the ongoing conflict amid the upcoming US midterm elections.
Tehran has told regional officials that it would respond to any new attacks by hitting neighbouring US allies in retaliation, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Iran shares borders with both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have both been staunch supporters of the US. Other neighbouring countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkmenistan.
