White House prepares plans to use weapon dubbed “mother of all bombs” on Iran, sources say

Updated on: October 15, 2026 / 3:25 PM EDT / CBS News

The White House and Pentagon have prepared plans to use a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb to hit military sites in Iran if ordered by President Trump, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

A Pentagon official told CBS News: "The Department of War plans for a wide range of operational scenarios to execute Presidential and Secretary level direction and to ensure mission success in any operational environment."

Last week, Mr. Trump said the U.S. would not attack Iran before the midterm elections. He also touted "productive conversations" with Iran, though he did not provide specifics.

CNN first reported Thursday on the plans to use the Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, or MOAB, on Iran.

Mr. Trump set precedent for using the MOAB, also known as the "mother of all bombs," when it was used in 2017 to attack an Islamic State cave complex in Afghanistan. The bomb is the largest U.S. non-nuclear weapon, weighing an upwards of 30,000 pounds at a cost of $170,000 per unit.

This is a breaking story; it will be updated.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/