US considers using ‘mother of all bombs' against Iran as Tehran rejects surrender

The United States (U.S.) war against Iran could see major escalation as reports suggest that the U.S. military is considering the use of Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) against the Islamic Republic.

For the unversed, the MOAB is the most lethal non-nuclear weapon in the U.S. arsenal which can deliver an explosive yield equivalent to 11 tons of TNT and creates a destructive blast radius of approximately 1,000 yards to 1 mile.

According to a CNN report published Thursday, U.S. military planners have developed new strike options that could involve deploying the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear-related sites.

The plans could be activated if President Donald Trump orders military operations to resume, potentially after the November 3 midterm elections.

The report, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with the planning, does not indicate that a final decision to use the weapon has been made. The potential deployment would mark a significant escalation in the conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

However, officials familiar with the discussions have questioned whether the weapon would achieve Washington's military objectives.

The MOAB is designed to destroy large-area targets, but it is not a specialised deep-penetration bomb capable of reliably destroying heavily fortified underground nuclear facilities.

The United States previously used the weapon operationally in Afghanistan in April 2017, targeting an Islamic State tunnel complex. Meanwhile, Tehran has continued to reject demands for surrender.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly in September that Iran would not submit to U.S. pressure, while maintaining that diplomacy remained an option to end the war.