The United States is considering using the “Mother of All Bombs” against Iran.. What do we know about the weapon?

CNN reported that the United States is considering using the largest non-nuclear bomb in its military arsenal against Iran, if US President Donald Trump decides to carry out new military action in light of the ongoing conflict.

The network quoted informed sources that the US military is making plans that may include targeting Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities using the bomb known as the “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB).

Trump announced last week that he does not intend to launch an attack on Iran before the congressional elections scheduled for November 3, speaking of “fruitful negotiations” with Tehran.

But CNN reported that the White House asked the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, to prepare possible military options, including destroying large parts of Iran's energy infrastructure.

According to the report, the use of the “Mother of All Bombs” is also among the options for targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, especially in the Kulang Mountain area, where there are believed to be underground facilities that have been under development for years.

What do we know about the “Mother of All Bombs”?

The bomb bears the official name GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, and is known as MOAB for short. It is also known in the media as the “Mother of All Bombs.”

According to a CNN report, this bomb is the largest conventional non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal, and its explosive power is equivalent to about 11 tons of TNT.

The German newspaper Welt indicated that the bomb was tested for the first time in 2003, before American forces used it operationally for the first time in April 2017 against the "Islamic State" organization in Afghanistan, where it targeted a network of tunnels and hideouts belonging to the organization. Since then, it has not been reported for use in any other military operation.

CNN quoted American officials as saying that there were doubts within military circles about the effectiveness of the bomb in destroying deep underground nuclear facilities.

The network stated that the bomb's design aims to destroy large areas, and not to penetrate deep into the ground. Concerns have also been raised about the potential for civilian casualties if used against targets inside Iran.

In this context, the report stated that the United States had previously used GBU-57 bombs designed to penetrate fortifications. These bombs weigh approximately 13 tons each and are capable of penetrating tens of meters underground before exploding.

Parallel diplomatic and military movements

In a related development, the German newspaper Welt, citing the American website Axios, reported that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed last week the possibility of launching a large-scale military campaign against Iran.

The newspaper also pointed out conflicting reports in the Israeli media regarding the American position. While some reports spoke of Washington encouraging Israel to act alone, the Israeli channel N12 reported that American officials came away with the impression that Netanyahu was trying to push Trump toward launching new attacks.