A photo distributed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) shows a Mass Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) weapon used at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on March 11, 2003.
Usaf | Getty Images News | Getty Images
As Iran vows to continue fighting for its demands, the US military has developed new attack options against Iran, including the possibility of using one of its largest non-nuclear bombs, CNN reported on Thursday.
CNN reported, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter, that the attack plan included the possibility of using the GBU-43/B mass-weapon air explosive bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs.” CNBC has not independently confirmed this report and has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.
The 21,600-pound air-explosive weapon is designed to affect a wide range of surface targets and has so far not been deployed by the United States in any previous strikes against targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 under the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump said last week that he had no intention of ordering a resumption of military strikes before the November 3 midterm elections.
Nevertheless, tensions in the Middle East are rising with the sinking of a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and a series of deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The White House is under increasing pressure to demonstrate progress on its Middle East goals ahead of the midterm elections, as Americans increasingly feel the impact at home through rising energy prices and broader cost pressures.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Iranian government is beefing up defenses around its sensitive energy and nuclear facilities in preparation for the possibility of renewed attacks.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf said in a televised address late Wednesday that Iran must continue to use a combination of military and defense capabilities, negotiations and regional strategic influence to urge the United States to accept its demands.
Tehran officials have previously listed demands including the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade and sanctions and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.
According to Iranian state media reports, Ghalibaf said Tehran’s goal is not to be locked in endless war, but to prevent the United States and other adversaries from achieving their objectives through military strikes.
