U.S. planners weigh MOAB option in possible Iran strikes

U.S. military planners have prepared strike options against Iran that include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, against energy infrastructure and nuclear-related sites if President Donald Trump orders combat operations to resume, according to officials familiar with the planning. The reported options are contingency plans, not an authorization to attack. The weapon, known as the “mother of all bombs,” is the largest nonnuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. Its possible use would mark a significant escalation in the conflict, which has continued for more than six months, according to the reports. One planning source said the proposed packages include strikes on “a lot of energy infrastructure.” Another said plans for nuclear-related targets include the suspected underground site at Pickaxe Mountain, where the United States and Israel believe Iran has stored components of its nuclear program. The MOAB weighs about 21,600 pounds and is designed to create a powerful blast over a broad area. Sources familiar with military planning questioned whether it could damage deeply buried facilities protected by layers of granite.