US considers using the Mother of All Bombs against Iran - how powerful is it?

The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) weapon is reportedly being considered for use in Iran (Picture: Reuters) The US military has drawn up plans to potentially unleash the ‘mother of all bombs’ on Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if Donald Trump gives the order to resume combat, according to reports. The proposed strikes would mark a major escalation in the conflict, with the US potentially deploying its largest non-nuclear bomb for the first time in its war against Iran. It comes as the president faces growing pressure to end the war, which has now gone on for more than six months. The proposed bomb is the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, which is also known as the MOAB, according to multiple US officials who told CNN. How powerful is the Mother of All Bombs? It is the US military’s most powerful non-nuclear bomb. The blast wave stretches for a mile in every direction and is created by 18,000lb of TNT. It is 30ft in length and costs $16,000,000 to build. For scale, the yield of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of about 15,000 tonnes of TNT. Russia’s Father of All Bombs (FOAB) is claimed to be the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the world with a blast yield of 44 tonnes of TNT. The weapon, which weighs nearly 1,000kg, is one of the most powerful conventional bombs in America’s arsenal, but officials have reportedly questioned whether deploying it would change the course of the conflict. The bomb is said to be capable of destroying a large surface area, but it likely lacks the capability to penetrate deep enough under the surface to destroy suspected nuclear facilities. The GBU-43/B, also known as the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, detonates during a test in Florida in 2003 (Picture: Getty) President Donald Trump is facing growing pressure to end the unpopular war (Picture: Getty) One source said the plans referred to launching the attacks before a US military withdrawal from the region, potentially allowing the administration to declare victory before pulling out. Another source said plans for strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, including the underground site known as Pickaxe Mountain, also explicitly included the possible use of the MOAB. With the US midterm elections approaching, Republicans are also bracing for a potential backlash from voters over the conflict. Despite months of American bombing, there is little sign of a negotiated settlement between Washington and Tehran. US officials have privately questioned whether the White House has a wider strategy linking its military plans to a clear route out of the war. Trump and his advisers have spent months discussing options that could provide what they describe as a ‘definitive’ end to the conflict, particularly as opposition among American voters has grown. The weapon is one of the most powerful conventional bombs in America’s arsenal (Picture: AP) The president has also reportedly rejected suggestions from some allies that he should simply withdraw American forces, arguing that doing so could look like a defeat. Although Trump has publicly said he would not take further military action before the midterm elections, advisers have privately questioned whether that position is final. The White House has not publicly confirmed that the MOAB will be used, and the reported plans do not mean an attack has been ordered. However, the bomb, which was developed during the Iraq War and first deployed by Trump during his first term when he authorised the military to bomb ISIS positions in Afghanistan in 2017, could be used for ‘psychological operations’.