US Weighs Deploying MOAB Against Iran as Trump Rules Out Deal and Military Prepares Strike Options

The United States is considering using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, known as the "Mother of All Bombs" and the largest non-nuclear air-delivered weapon in the US arsenal, in potential strikes against Iran, CNN reported late October 15. The option is part of a broader set of war plans drawn up by the US military following a meeting of President Trump's national security team, with NBC News reporting that Trump and his advisers have discussed possibly resuming large-scale combat operations in the coming weeks, potentially before the November midterm elections.

President Trump, speaking at a campaign rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, hardened his public stance, saying he no longer wants a diplomatic deal with Iran even as special envoy Steve Witkoff has been pursuing negotiations. Iran's Parliament Speaker sharpened Tehran's position simultaneously, declaring that no US deal could prevent another attack on Iran and stating that Iran's goal is to force the enemy to accept its demands, not to pursue endless war or prolonged talks.

The escalating Iran tensions coincided with other security developments. North Korea conducted a test of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles, a surge in Pyongyang's weapons testing that has already exceeded its total for all of 2025. Separately, President Trump announced during a campaign stop in Kalispell, Montana, that the Pentagon will establish a new training range in the state dedicated to autonomous and hypersonic weapons. Elon Musk, responding to the charged global environment, said on social media that SpaceX could reach a valuation exceeding $100 trillion within ten years, barring a major world war.