# US drafts ‘mother of all bombs’ options for Iran strikes on energy and nuclear sites, CNN reports

*Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 6:17 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-15T06:17:58.845Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/20615.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: US military planners have drawn up scenarios to use the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs,” against Iranian energy facilities and nuclear sites such as Pickaxe Mountain if President Trump orders combat operations to resume, CNN reports.

US officials have developed strike plans that would bring the country’s largest non‑nuclear bomb into play against targets in Iran, according to reporting by CNN.

Multiple US officials familiar with the matter told the network that the military has prepared options to use the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, often called the “mother of all bombs” (MOAB), against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including the site known as Pickaxe Mountain. The plans would be available if President Donald Trump orders a return to combat operations against Iran, either before or after the midterm elections.

CNN’s reporting says officials doubt the MOAB could destroy Iran’s deepest and most hardened underground nuclear facilities. Analysts cited in the article argue that the main effect of such a strike would likely be psychological and political, alongside damage to energy infrastructure that is more exposed to surface blasts.

Energy targets such as refineries and power assets are considerably more vulnerable to a large conventional bomb than buried nuclear installations. Hitting them with a weapon designed to produce a massive air blast would be intended to disrupt Iran’s energy network and send a highly visible signal of US military resolve.

The existence of these plans does not mean a strike is imminent, but it does show that the option is being actively considered and updated. Any move toward using the MOAB against Iran would immediately raise questions about retaliation, regional escalation and the safety of nearby shipping lanes and US forces.

Signals to watch include changes in US bomber deployments that could deliver such a weapon, sharper public rhetoric from senior US officials about Iranian nuclear sites or energy facilities, and any visible hardening or dispersal of Iranian assets at locations like Pickaxe Mountain.