With the Middle East conflict showing little sign of ending anytime soon, the United States (US) is reportedly considering the use of its largest non-nuclear bomb, also known as the 'mother of all bombs' (MOAB), against Iran. It will likely be used to target Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, as President Donald Trump considers resuming military action against the Islamic Republic before or after the midterm elections.
Trump has asked the US military to prepare a list of Iranian sites that could be targeted. Citing people familiar with the development, the CNN reported that the list include "a lot of energy infrastructure", underlining that the Trump administration could "attempt to declare victory and quickly pull everyone out."
Pickaxe Mountain among target list
A source told the CNN that Iran's Pickaxe Mountain is among the sites that could be targeted. Situated next to the Natanz nuclear facility that is roughly 225 kilometres south of Tehran, Trump has repeatedly warned against targeting the Pickaxe Mountain.
"We may hit Pickaxe very soon because if there was anything going on with Pickaxe," Trump had said on September 5. "We know everybody that's moving at Pickaxe; we know everybody that's moving everywhere all over Iran. And if anything goes bad, we hit them; we hit them hard."
According to CNN, the MOAB will most likely be used to target the Pickaxe Mountain; however, uncertainty remains if it would be affected against Iran's nuclear facilities that are situated deep underground.
What is the 'mother of all bombs'?
The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), popularly called the 'mother of all bombs', is the largest non-nuclear weapon that the US military has. Weighing 21,600 pounds or 9,800 kilograms, the MOAB has GPS-guided surface-detonating mechanism that is dropped using a Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.
It was first tested by the US Air Force in 2003, but it was only in 2017 when the Americans used it against the Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) militants in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. Back then, it was used to target the tunnel and cave complex of the ISIS militants.
Ninety-four ISIS-K militants were reportedly killed in the strike, and the Afghan authorities at that time claimed no civilian was killed. However, Al Jazeera, citing local reports, said there were several "civilian casualties and many homes were destroyed".
"Its large explosive charge can produce devastating blast effects against exposed personnel, equipment and vulnerable structures," military expert Colonel Nidal Abu Zeid warned, while speaking to Al Jazeera. "The Afghanistan operation demonstrates its intended application against a cave-and-tunnel position; it does not demonstrate an ability to destroy every kind of underground installation."
Will it be effective against Iran?
While the US weighs using the MOAB against Iran, there are concerns if it would be affected against Iran's nuclear facilities that are situated deep underground. Sources told CNN that MOAB doesn't have the "capability to penetrate deep enough under the surface", especially in the case of the Pickaxe Mountain that is largely fortified.
They believe that the MOAB, if used, can have a deadly effect, but mostly on the surface level. Yet, there is a strong possibility of Trump using it against the Iranians.
"POTUS has unfortunately put himself in a situation where he is almost compelled to do something and, without the ammunition designed to penetrate that level ... you have to look at psychological effects for which the MOAB is well-equipped," another source told CNN.
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