Washington (TDI): The US military has developed contingency plans that could involve using its largest non-nuclear bomb against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, CNN reported on Thursday, citing US officials familiar with the planning.
The potential use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), widely known as the “mother of all bombs,” would represent a significant escalation in the conflict. However, officials familiar with the discussions reportedly questioned whether deploying the weapon would achieve Washington’s broader strategic objectives.
The existence of contingency plans does not establish that a decision to use the weapon has been made. The report emerged as Trump said the war with Iran would end “very soon,” predicting that oil prices would fall sharply once hostilities concluded.
Speaking to reporters in Montana late Wednesday, Trump said Iran wanted the conflict to end and reiterated that Tehran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. “The Iran war will end very soon,” he said, adding that oil prices would “drop like a rock” after the fighting stopped.
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His remarks came amid continued uncertainty over diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and mounting risks to commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz.
Addressing a rally in Montana, Trump claimed that US military operations had severely weakened Iran’s armed forces, saying the country’s navy, air force and military leadership had suffered extensive losses. He also expressed uncertainty about the Iranian officials involved in negotiations with Washington.
“I should have probably left their leaders because I don’t know who the hell we’re negotiating with,” Trump said. The president described Iran as having previously been a dominant military power in the Middle East but argued that US operations had substantially reduced its capabilities.
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Trump claimed that Iran’s fleet of 159 ships had been destroyed and that none of its fighter aircraft remained operational. These figures and claims were not independently verified in the report.
His comments highlighted the contrast between Washington’s assertions of major military gains and its continuing efforts to secure an end to the conflict through negotiations.
