US military has developed contingency strike plans that could include employment of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb — commonly known as the “mother of all bombs” — against targets inside Iran if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, CNN reported on Thursday, citing US officials familiar with the matter.
The GBU-43/B is a large conventional munition designed to produce extensive blast and overpressure effects across a wide area. It has been described in public records as one of the most powerful non-nuclear weapons in the US inventory and was previously deployed by US forces in Afghanistan in 2017 against entrenched militant positions.
The plans referenced by the report identify potential targets including elements of energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, according to the officials cited. Targeting those kinds of facilities would reflect a focus on strategic systems that underpin both civilian supplies and state nuclear capabilities, with implications for regional security dynamics and international diplomatic responses.
Contingency planning of this sort is part of routine military preparation for a range of scenarios, and the reported options underscore the gravity of choices available to US leadership. The report attributes the information to unnamed officials; precise details of the plans, potential timelines and any further operational considerations were not made public in the initial account. The disclosure is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of US strategy toward Iran and the measures policymakers might consider in the event of renewed hostilities.
