The White House and the Pentagon have developed military plans to use a Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb against military targets in Iran if ordered by President Donald Trump. Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that the plans are prepared for use at the president's direction.
The development follows several months of intermittent U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and continued tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. While the U.S. and Iran have largely avoided direct strikes in recent weeks, President Trump has stated that military action could increase if a satisfactory agreement with the Iranian government is not reached.
A Pentagon official stated that the department plans for "a wide range of operational scenarios" to ensure mission success. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on specific sensitive plans but noted that the president "keeps all options on the table" to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The MOAB, a conventional weapon previously used against an Islamic State cave complex in Afghanistan in 2017, costs approximately $170,000 per unit and weighs upwards of 30,000 pounds.
For global markets and consumers, the escalation or execution of these plans impacts the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil shipments. Iran has continued to strike and threaten ships in this area, contributing to high global oil prices. The scale of a potential strike remains dependent on whether President Trump decides to pursue a diplomatic deal or, as he stated at the United Nations General Assembly, chooses to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic.
The concrete day-to-day change for service members and regional residents would be determined by the timing of a presidential order, though the president stated last week that no attack would occur before the midterm elections. The next steps involve ongoing U.S. enforcement of a blockade on Iranian ports and continued diplomatic discussions, which the president characterized as "productive" without providing specific details. No specific deadline for a decision on the strikes was reported.