U.S. Military Studying Use of 'Mother of All Bombs' Against Iran Ahead of Midterm Elections

The U.S. military has developed new strike plans that include the option of deploying the GBU-43/B bomb, known as the "Mother of All Bombs," to target Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, should President Donald Trump order the resumption of combat operations before or after the midterm elections, according to U.S. officials briefed on the matter.

The bomb, the largest in the American non-nuclear arsenal, remains untested in any confrontation with Iran, having never been used against it. Nevertheless, multiple officials briefed on internal military planning discussions have expressed skepticism about its capacity to achieve the strategic objectives Trump has announced or to tip the balance in the conflict.

Pressure on Trump is mounting to end a conflict with limited domestic popularity, while Republicans await voter reaction in the upcoming midterm elections, with no clear indicators of any negotiated settlement on the horizon. Trump has stated as a condition that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons.