What is the “Mother of all Bombs” that Trump is considering using against Iran?
By Easton Martin
President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing potential military action against Iran that could include the use of America’s largest non-nuclear bomb, known as the “Mother of All Bombs.” The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, carries an enormous explosive payload designed to devastate targets across a wide area.
The MOAB weighs approximately 21,600 pounds and contains roughly 18,700 pounds of high explosives. Measuring about 30 feet long, the satellite-guided weapon generates a massive blast wave capable of destroying buildings and exposed military positions. Unlike nuclear weapons, it relies entirely on conventional explosives.
The United States first tested the weapon in the early 2000s and used it in combat for the first time on April 13, 2017, when American forces dropped one on an Islamic State tunnel complex in Afghanistan during Trump’s first administration.
Reports indicate the Pentagon has prepared potential strike plans involving the weapon as the administration considers additional attacks against Iran. One possible target is Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground site associated with Iran’s nuclear program.
However, the MOAB was not designed specifically to penetrate deeply buried facilities. The United States possesses a separate weapon, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which weighs approximately 30,000 pounds and was engineered to strike hardened underground targets.
As of October 16, there has been no confirmed announcement that Trump has authorized the MOAB’s use against Iran. Its deployment would depend on the military objectives of any renewed operation and whether the weapon could effectively damage the intended targets.
Although the MOAB can inflict extraordinary destruction against surface installations, its size alone does not guarantee the destruction of deeply buried nuclear facilities. The central question is whether using the weapon would materially weaken Iran’s military capabilities and advance Washington’s broader objectives.
