US Considers Bombing Iran with Its Most Powerful Non-Nuclear Bomb (CNN)

The United States is considering bombing Iran with its most powerful non-nuclear bomb if President Donald Trump decides to launch a new round of escalation after the war that began in February with US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic reached a stalemate.

The network quoted informed sources as saying that the military is studying the potential use of the GBU-43/B bomb, known as the "Mother of All Bombs," against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites.

Last week, Donald Trump ruled out launching an attack on Iran before the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, and spoke of "productive discussions" with Tehran.

This comes as the war with Iran and its repercussions on goods and fuel prices have caused Trump's popularity to decline in opinion polls shortly before the elections.

The United States and Israel said the attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, something Tehran denies, asserting its right to a peaceful nuclear program.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June, brokered by Pakistan, before it collapsed in July with the resumption of Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent US military strikes against the Islamic Republic. Negotiations have since stalled.

However, several media reports indicate that the White House has asked the Pentagon to prepare options for striking targets in Iran before the election.

CNN quoted a source as saying that Trump directed the plans to include targeting "energy infrastructure on a large scale" and the potential use of the "Mother of All Bombs."

However, some officials question the effectiveness of this bomb, particularly its ability to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities.

A source familiar with the plans told CNN that the bomb is "effective at destroying large areas, but it's not capable of much more," noting that it is not designed with a bunker-buster warhead.

The use of these bombs also risks civilian casualties.

During Trump's first term, the U.S. military first used the "Mother of All Bombs" in 2017 to target ISIS hideouts and tunnels in Afghanistan, killing more than 90 militants.