What is the ‘Mother of All Bombs’ US could use in Iran?

Key Points:

• The US has developed plans to use the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb, against Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if ordered by President Trump, potentially escalating the conflict significantly.
• Military experts question the bomb’s effectiveness against Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities, suggesting it may cause more political spectacle than strategic damage, as the MOAB is not designed to penetrate deep underground targets.
• The MOAB was previously used only once in 2017 against ISIS in Afghanistan, causing significant surface destruction but with disputed civilian casualty reports; its deployment against Iran could similarly devastate above-ground structures within a 1km radius.
• Experts warn that using the MOAB could provoke a strong Iranian retaliation, including potential invasions of neighboring countries hosting US forces, as Iran has previously threatened and taken aggressive actions in the region.
• Concerns exist within the US administration about the strategic value of deploying the MOAB, with questions raised about what such an attack would achieve beyond demonstrating military might without advancing political goals.