U.S. military draws up new Iran strike plans that could use “mother of all bombs” on energy and nuclear sites

The U.S. military has developed new strike plans against Iran that include potentially using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, against energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders combat operations to resume.

Trump has ordered the military to prepare additional strike packages covering “a lot of energy infrastructure,” according to a U.S. official familiar with the planning. The options could be carried out before or after the November midterm elections, but no decision to launch the strikes has been reported.

A second source said military plans for Iranian nuclear facilities, including the deeply buried site known as Pickaxe Mountain, explicitly include possible use of the MOAB. The 21,600-pound weapon, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal.

Military officials have raised doubts about whether the MOAB could destroy deeply buried nuclear facilities. Unlike a penetrator designed to burrow underground before detonating, the MOAB produces an enormous surface blast and may not penetrate the granite protecting Pickaxe Mountain.

The new planning comes as Washington and Tehran show little sign of approaching a negotiated end to the conflict after more than six months of U.S. bombing. Trump has publicly said he would hold off on new action before the midterms, although officials involved in discussions have said it is unclear whether that position is final.

The White House has declined to comment on specific military plans, saying Trump continues to keep all options available to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.