In another case of the Trump Administration telegraphing a major military maneuver by talking about it in advance, they are reportedly considering dropping a Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) on Iran.
The weapon, which is officially called the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, is considered the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the United States military’s arsenal.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Hunter Kaloci, 393rd Bomber Generation Squadron crew chief, adjusts a wheel chock in front of a parked B-2 Spirit aircraft at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, Sept. 20, 2025. The 393rd BGS provides worldwide combat capability by planning and conducting all aspects of on-aircraft maintenance, launch and recovery of B-2 aircraft in direct support of Joint Chiefs of Staff nuclear and conventional taskings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Hastings)
FILE PHOTO — The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses. (U.S. Air Force photo)
According to CNN, U.S. strike plans include the potential use of the Mother of All Bombs weapon, either on energy infrastructure or nuclear sites, should military action resume after the midterm elections next month.
The U.S. has not used the MOAB at all in the Iran war to date.
CNN reported that using it would mark “a notable escalation” in the conflict, although some experts doubt it could help the U.S. meet its main objectives in the war.
Could It End the War?
CNN’s analysis says Trump is facing pressure to end the war, but there’s little indication that a diplomatic solution is anywhere close. According to the report, the MOAB is among the options the military has offered Trump, who asked for options for attacking “a lot of energy infrastructure” as well as nuclear sites.
However, CNN also reported that “some officials continue to privately question” whether Trump has a strategy to actually end the war.
Sources told CNN that the war’s endgame looks like trying to find a “symbolic” victory that will let Trump walk away and call it a win.
One source told the network that Trump might need a “fireworks show” to declare a final victory, or at least the appearance of one.
Since Trump has, in the past, spoken about the war as a definitive victory that is just about complete, some allies of the president have encouraged him to “bring US troops home and move on,” although the president has been reluctant to take that step.
One source told the network that Trump could launch a major attack, declare victory, and bring troops home.
And one source told CNN that they’re not sure if Trump’s promise to not attack Iran again before the midterm elections is absolutely definitive.
At any rate, it doesn’t appear that any attack with the MOAB weapon would come as much of a surprise for Iran.
Where They Could Attack
Potential targets for a MOAB attack include Pickaxe Mountain, the mountain-based suspected nuclear site that Trump has repeatedly discussed attacking throughout the war.
However, some officials cautioned, according to the CNN report, that the MOAB might not be effective in an attack on Pickaxe Mountain, since the weapon probably “lacks the capability to penetrate deep enough under the surface to destroy” the nuclear facilities that are suspected to be inside the mountain. One official told CNN that the MOAB is “definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”
A “Psychological Weapon”
One scenario is that Trump could opt to use the MOAB as more of a “psychological weapon,” aimed at getting Iran to bend and make a better deal.
Another option would be to threaten to do so and use the threat of a MOAB attack as leverage.
But other sources told CNN that the only way to definitively defeat Iran is a “major operation” involving ground troops, but that taking that step is unlikely because of the lives it would cost, and therefore no one in the administration is seriously advocating such a step.
History of the MOAB
The “Mother of All Bombs” was developed in the early 2000s, during the early years of the Global War on Terror, as a “psychological” weapon.
The first-ever use of the MOAB in combat was during Trump’s first term, when he ordered it to be used in Afghanistan to attack underground tunnels used by ISIS in 2017.
The name came from a different “MOAB” invocation, when Saddam Hussein referred to the 1991 Gulf War as the “mother of all battles.”
It has not been used in combat since, and the U.S. used a different “bunker buster” bomb, the GBU-57 series MOP, in both the 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and at other times during this year’s Iran War.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
