According to a report by CNN on October 15th, several informed U.S. officials revealed that the U.S. military has developed new strike plans against Iran. If U.S President Donald Trump orders the resumption of combat operations before or after the mid-term elections, the U.S. military may use the GBU-43/B Massordetonator Bomb, known as the 'bomb mother', to target Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities.
Several sources familiar with internal discussions within the US military said that the GBU-43/B large air-delivered bomb is the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the US arsenal. If the US military were to use this weapon for the first time in conflicts with Iran, it would mark a significant escalation of the situation.
A source said that Trump has ordered the development of more countermeasures, targeting ‘a large amount of energy infrastructure’, and considering the use of ‘Bomb Mother’.
According to this source, the wording used in the relevant plan is that the attack will be carried out ‘before the US military withdraws from the area under the command of the Central Command’. This means that the Trump administration might first carry out a new round of strikes, then announce victory, and quickly withdraw all personnel.
The second source told CNN that the US military's strike plan against Iranian nuclear facilities explicitly includes the use of a "bomber mother," with targets including the “Aozhiang” nuclear facility.
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly threatened to target "Gaoshan". The United States and Israel believe that Tehran stores components related to its nuclear program there. Although Trump suspended comprehensive military operations earlier this year, he has since made several such threats, repeatedly emphasizing that his goal is to ensure that Iran never gains nuclear weapons.
"Bomb Mother" Vision China
However, these individuals also doubt the actual effectiveness of the ‘mother bomb’. They believe that such a bomb may not be able to help Trump achieve his declared strategic goals, nor to change the course of the war.
According to sources, although this type of bomb can destroy areas equivalent to nine urban blocks, it may not be able to penetrate the multi-layered granite that protects underground nuclear facilities.
A source familiar with discussions regarding Iran's military plans told CNN, “‘Mother of Bombs’ is essentially a massive weapon with strong information warfare capabilities. It is well-suited for clearing large areas of targets, but its uses are limited beyond that. It is definitely not designed to be a warhead capable of deep penetration attacks.”
The report indicates that the extensive damage range of such bombs will almost certainly cause concerns about civilian casualties. However, since the Iranian government is reluctant to comply with Trump’s diplomatic demands, Trump may still choose to use the “mother of bombs” as a psychological deterrent weapon.
"Unfortunately, the President of the United States has put himself in a situation where some action is almost inevitable. Since there are no munitions that can penetrate that depth, it is necessary to consider the psychological effects, and 'Mother Bombing Device' is perfectly suited for that purpose," said the source.
As the U.S. midterm elections approach, Trump is facing increasing pressure to end the war. Sources revealed that the U.S. military even devised some "fireworks-like" strike plans, hoping to create an opportunity for Trump to withdraw from the conflict, even if these strikes fail to achieve their initial war objectives.
Regarding the plans mentioned in CNN reports, the White House responded by stating that it would not comment on potentially existing or nonexistent sensitive military programs, and emphasized that Trump has all options available to ensure that Iran never obtains nuclear weapons.
According to reports, the ‘Mother of Bombs’ was developed during the Iraq War. In 2003, when this bomb was in its final testing stage, US military officials told CNN that the main purpose of developing the ‘Mother of Bombs’ was to use it for ‘psychological warfare’.
Trump is the first U.S. president to deploy the "mother of bombs". On April 13, 2017, the U.S. military deployed GBU-43/B large airburst bombs against targets of the extremist organization ISIS in Afghanistan. This was the first time the U.S. military used such weapons in combat.
