The US military has drawn up strike plans that include the possible use of the “mother of all bombs” against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, according to multiple US officials familiar with the planning.
CNN reported that the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, could be used for the first time in the conflict with Iran if President Donald Trump orders combat operations to resume before or after the midterm elections. Officials told CNN there are doubts inside the military about whether the weapon would accomplish Trump’s stated objectives or tip the balance of the war.
Trump addressed the report directly in an interview with Newsmax on Thursday. “It’s not nuclear at all, this is just an extremely large bomb. It’s like a tiny nuclear bomb. But the ‘mother of all bombs’ is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear,” he said. He also said he did not anticipate sending ground troops to Iran and named Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified nuclear site, as a possible target. CBS News separately confirmed that the White House and Pentagon had prepared plans involving the weapon; the White House declined to comment on sensitive military plans.
The planning comes more than six months into the conflict, with Trump facing pressure to end a war that polls show is unpopular with Americans. Officials believe he could change course again as the midterm elections approach.
Source: CNN
