CNN: The United States is considering a strike on Iran by the "mother of all bombs" GBU-43/B MOAB
The United States is considering the possibility of attacking Iran with the super-powerful GBU-43/B MOAB high-explosive aerial bomb ("mother of all bombs"), CNN reports, citing sources in the administration. According to them, Trump instructed the military to develop strike options, including the use of MOAB, after which it would be possible to declare victory over Iran. One of the main targets is the Kolang Ghazla mountain range in Isfahan, known as Mount Pickax, under which a secret nuclear complex is allegedly located.
US President Donald Trump is exploring the possibility of striking Iran with the "mother of all bombs" (MOAB), a super—powerful GBU-43/B high-explosive aerial bomb, CNN reported.
"Trump has instructed the military to develop additional packages of options for attacks on Iranian facilities, which include "a large number of energy infrastructure facilities," as well as the possible use of MOAB ("Mother Of All Bombs")," one of the administration sources told the channel.
According to other sources, for several months, Trump and his advisers have been discussing scenarios that can be presented as the "final" end of the war in terms of information support.
— CNN notes.
At the same time, Trump does not agree with the calls of a number of members of his entourage, who suggest "simply returning American servicemen home and moving on," since, in the opinion of the American leader, such a step would look like a defeat.
CNN sources report that internal documents state that this attack should occur "before the withdrawal of American forces from the area of responsibility of the US Central Command (CENTCOM)."
"This indicates that the administration may launch additional strikes, try to declare victory, and then quickly withdraw its forces," the TV channel explains.
What targets can be hit by a superbomb?
According to CNN sources, one of the main targets for MOAB strikes is the Kolang Gaz La mountain range in Isfahan, which in the United States is called Pickaxe Mountain and under which a secret nuclear complex is allegedly located. Trump had previously threatened to strike the area in July.
— Reuters quoted him as saying.
In September 2025, The Washington Post reported, citing satellite images, that Iran had accelerated the construction of a secret military facility under Mount Pickax, including work on tunneling deep into the mountain system.
Construction began back in 2020, and at that time, Tehran stated that the complex was intended for the production and assembly of centrifuges used in uranium enrichment.
According to experts quoted by Reuters, the facility under Mount Pickax is out of range of even the most powerful American bunker buster bombs.
In turn, Al Jazeera TV channel reported that the underground complex consists of two tunnel systems and is located at such a depth that its complete destruction is considered unlikely, since the structure is covered by "hundreds of meters" of solid granite rock.
What is MOAB?
GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) is a super-heavy high-explosive aerial bomb developed in the USA in 2002-2003. The power of its explosion is about 11 tons of TNT equivalent, which is approximately comparable to the power of the American small tactical nuclear munition M-388 Davey Crockett during the Cold War.
Initially, MOAB was supposed to be used against large concentrations of troops and equipment or fortified ground bunkers.
At the same time, CNN sources doubt that GBU-43/B will be able to penetrate Mount Pickax and completely destroy the nuclear complex located inside.
— a source familiar with the discussions of military planning regarding Iran told CNN.
If MOAB were used, the consequences in the affected area would be devastating, but mostly on the surface, the sources noted. At the same time, the huge explosion radius will definitely lead to civilian casualties, especially if the bomb is used against Iranian infrastructure facilities located near populated areas and civilian facilities.
"Unfortunately, the president has put himself in a situation where he is almost forced to do something, and in the absence of ammunition designed to penetrate to such a depth ... we have to rely on the psychological effect, for which MOAB is very well suited," the source added to CNN.
Despite the fact that the MOAB was developed during the Iraq war, the first combat use of this bomb took place only in 2017 in Afghanistan, during the first presidential term of Donald Trump.
Then it was dropped on the positions of ISIS (the organization is banned in Russia), which were a network of fortified underground tunnels in the province of Nangarhar, which the militants used to attack government forces.
According to the Afghan authorities, 36 militants were killed at that time, and the explosion destroyed three underground tunnels, as well as weapons and ammunition. Afghan and American officials claimed at the time that civilians had not been injured. At the same time, the media and military experts doubted that the use of MOAB was required to defeat such a target.
Alexander Karpov
