Does President Trump want to make a big flash-bang in Iran, declare victory, and then walk away? According to an Oct. 15 report from CNN, the U.S. military has developed new strike plans that include potentially using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb—also known as the “mother of all bombs” (MOAB)—to target Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites should Trump give the order to resume combat operations either before or after the midterm elections.

The MOAB is not the same weapon that was used in the June 2025 attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. That weapon was the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP. The MOP, being designed to penetrate 200 feet of earth before detonating, actually contains less explosive than the MOAB, about 6,000 lbs as against more than 18,000 for the MOAB. The MOAB is really intended to obliterate surface targets and to “shock and awe” the targeted country. So, analysts queried by CNN questioned its usefulness against hard targets like Pickaxe Mountain.

The CNN report continues: “While the U.S. military continues to provide Trump with options for potential strikes against outstanding Iranian targets, some officials continue to privately question whether the White House has a strategy that incorporates those plans in a way that could actually end the war—something only the president has the power to do. For months, Trump and his advisors have discussed options that could act as a ‘definitive’ end to the war, at least from a messaging point of view, aware of how unpopular the conflict has become among Americans.”