US considers using 'Mother of All Bombs' in Iran contingency plans

US military planners have included the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), popularly known as the "Mother of All Bombs," in contingency strike options for Iran, according to a report by CNN on Thursday, 15 October. The proposal reportedly targets Iranian energy infrastructure and deeply buried nuclear sites, including a complex near Natanz situated beneath Pickaxe Mountain. Capabilities and technical specifications The MOAB is a 9,800kg satellite-guided conventional weapon carrying approximately 8,500kg of explosives. Measuring nine metres in length, it is deployed from a C-130 transport aircraft via a specialized cradle. While frequently described as the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, it is not the heaviest; that distinction belongs to the 13,600kg GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Unlike the MOP, which is designed to bore through hardened concrete and rock before detonating, the MOAB is an air-blast weapon. It detonates above the ground to create a massive overpressure wave designed to collapse cave entrances and destroy surface structures over a wide radius. This technical distinction has led some military sources to question the weapon's effectiveness against Pickaxe Mountain, which is protected by significant layers of granite. Strategic context and limitations The report comes as the Pentagon maintains a range of operational scenarios for the region. The White House has declined to comment on sensitive military planning, and there is no…