Overview
- Multiple U.S. officials told CNN on Thursday that military planners have drawn up strike packages that explicitly list the GBU-43/B MOAB as an option.
- The planning names Iranian energy infrastructure and suspected nuclear sites such as Pickaxe Mountain as potential targets if the president orders renewed strikes.
- Military experts and planners cited in the reporting said the MOAB is built for wide-area blast and psychological impact and is not designed to penetrate deeply buried, granite‑protected facilities.
- Planning documents use language suggesting some options could occur “prior to US retrograde in CENTCOM AOR,” which indicates consideration of strikes timed around a possible withdrawal but does not equal authorization.
- Officials and analysts warn the weapon’s blast could cause extensive surface damage and civilian harm and could broaden the conflict, and the White House and Pentagon have declined to confirm operational details.