The United States military has drawn up war plans that include dropping the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, known as the "mother of all bombs," on Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities. CNN reported this on Thursday.
According to BioBioChile, the attack would require authorization from President Donald Trump. It would also take place only if Washington resumes bombing the Islamic republic, which was suspended in August while both sides seek an agreement.
The MOAB is the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal and weighs 10,000 kilograms. It is GPS-guided and detonates a few meters before hitting the ground. According to eldiario.es, citing CNN, it can devastate an area equivalent to nine city blocks.
A second source told CNN that plans to attack nuclear facilities, including the site known as Pickaxe Mountain (Mount Pickaxe), also include using this bomb. The United States and Israel believe Tehran stores components of its nuclear program there, and Trump has threatened several times to attack it.
The same sources question its effectiveness. The MOAB probably cannot penetrate deep enough to destroy underground facilities believed to be protected by layers of granite. Its damage would be mostly on the surface, and its enormous blast radius would endanger civilians if used near populated areas.
For that reason, CNN suggests Trump could use it as a psychological weapon. U.S. officials warn that it would be unlikely to force Iran to capitulate. Even so, it would give the president an option to break the stalemate without restarting large-scale fighting. The plan would aim to strike, declare victory and withdraw troops.
The war began on February 28 with attacks by the United States and Israel. eldiario.es describes it as unilateral and illegal, and as the most unpopular war in U.S. history. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have yet to produce agreements on the Strait of Hormuz or Iran’s nuclear program.
Domestic political pressure is high. Republicans fear a poor result in the November 3 midterm congressional elections. According to BioBioChile, Trump has told his inner circle that he could resume attacks after those elections, although his advisers consider that even riskier.
For Chile and Latin America, the most relevant issue is the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. Any escalation affecting energy supplies from the Persian Gulf influences international crude prices and, through them, fuel prices in importing countries such as Chile. The sources provide no figures on this impact.
The MOAB has been used only once in combat. That was in 2017, during Trump’s first term, against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan. The attack destroyed three tunnels and killed 36 fighters, according to Afghan authorities. If its use against Iran were authorized, it would be the second time and the first against a state.
