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4h ago

U.S. Military Includes MOAB as Option in Plans Targeting Iran

Planners say the move could signal a stepped-up show of force because the weapon would be primarily symbolic and raises questions about civilian harm and effectiveness against deep underground sites.

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The GBU-43/B, also known as the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, is launched successfully from a MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft during a test at Eglain Air Force Base, Florida, U.S., November 21, 2003 in this handout photo provided April 13, 2017. REUTERS/U.S. Air Force photo/Handout via REUTERS
US weighs ‘Mother of All Bombs’ for Iran.

Overview

  • Reporting on Oct. 15–16 shows Pentagon planners drew up additional strike packages that explicitly list the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) as a possible munition against Iranian targets.
  • The options identify targets such as energy infrastructure and the suspected underground site known as Pickaxe Mountain but inclusion in plans does not mean the president has authorized a strike.
  • Military and technical experts noted the MOAB detonates above ground to produce a wide blast and is not designed to penetrate thick rock, so it is unlikely to destroy deeply buried facilities that require bunker‑busting warheads.
  • Officials and analysts warned the bomb’s large blast radius could cause civilian casualties and prompt Iranian retaliation, and some internal planning documents frame options as a symbolic “fireworks show” timed before withdrawal.
  • The MOAB was used once in 2017; planners continue to weigh alternatives such as deeper‑penetrating munitions and to balance political pressure around the midterm elections with the risks of escalation.