A massive weapon called the “Mother of All Bombs” is on the table for use against Iran, according to new reports.
Known officially as the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the weapon is considered the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal, according to CBS News.
Officials would not confirm whether the bomb has a role in President Donald Trump’s plans.
“The Department of War plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to execute Presidential and Secretary-level direction and to ensure mission success in any operational environment,” a White House representative said.
“We do not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist. President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the representative added.
Trump used the weapon in 2017 during the war in Afghanistan to attack an area where terrorist fighters were hiding in caves.
The bomb weighs more than 30,000 pounds.
“The mother of all bombs is not nuclear,” Trump said, according to a report from Fox News.
“This is just an extremely large bomb. It’s like a tiny nuclear bomb, but the mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear.”
“I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to,” Trump said.
Although Trump has said in the past that he would not launch more strikes against Iran prior to the midterm elections on Nov. 3, CNN noted that “the U.S. military already appears to be preparing for potential Iranian retaliation should the president give the go-order.”
The bomb explodes prior to hitting the ground and was designed to hit massed troop formations or above-the-ground targets.
Do you support the potential use of the ‘Mother of All Bombs’ against Iran?
Yes, it’s necessary to prevent nuclear threats
100% (4 votes)
No, we should seek other solutions
0% (0 votes)
Unsure about the implications
0% (0 votes)
The U.S. also has at its disposal the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, according to The Hill.
The 20-foot-long bomb is a GPS-guided penetrating device created to destroy deeply buried and hardened tunnels or bunkers.
“The MOP is the most powerful and deeply burrowing non-nuclear bunker buster on earth and is critical to taking out highly fortified targets buried under literal mountains, like those found in Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea,” The War Zone reported.
“The weapon is guided and can impact the surface above its target with a high degree of accuracy.”
As noted by The Times of Israel, the bomb is believed to be able to penetrate more than 200 feet.
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