U.S. Officials Say Military Considering Use of "Mother of All Bombs" to Strike Iranian Nuclear Facilities

On October 15, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington that CNN cited multiple U.S. officials early on the 15th, stating that the U.S. military has developed a new plan to strike Iran, which includes considering the use of a large air-dropped bomb known as the "Mother of All Bombs" to target Iran's nuclear facilities.

The report quoted sources as saying that although U.S. President Trump had previously stated he would not attack Iran before the midterm elections, he has ordered the military to develop a new plan to strike Iran, targeting Iran's "extensive energy infrastructure" as well as the nuclear facilities that may be struck with the "Mother of All Bombs."

According to reports, the "Mother of All Bombs" is a large air-dropped bomb developed by the U.S. during the Iraq War, capable of exploding before hitting the ground, and is currently one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs in the U.S. military's arsenal. The "Mother of All Bombs" was originally designed as a weapon for "psychological warfare," with the U.S. military hoping its massive explosion would intimidate the Iraqi army, forcing them to surrender or abandon the fight.

Sources indicated that the "Mother of All Bombs" may lack sufficient penetration depth to destroy the Iranian nuclear facility believed to be buried deep within granite mountains, but it could still be used by the U.S. as a psychological deterrent weapon. U.S. officials stated that deploying this bomb provides Trump with an option to change the status quo of the U.S.-Iran conflict without restarting large-scale strikes.

The report noted that for weeks, senior U.S. government officials and military personnel have been seeking a way to exit the U.S.-Iran conflict, hoping to achieve at least a "symbolic" victory. The U.S. military has developed multiple "fireworks display" strike plans for this purpose.