Will the U.S. Use Its Most Powerful Bomb Against Iran? All Eyes on Trump’s Next Move, Says CNN

The United States is facing a critical moment as CNN reports that President Donald Trump has reviewed military options to strike Iran but is waiting to see if Tehran steps back from its nuclear ambitions.
According to a White House official quoted by CNN, “All options remain on the table.” One such option being discussed is the possible use of one of America’s most powerful non-nuclear weapons – the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, commonly known as the 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb.

This weapon, weighing nearly 30,000 pounds with 6,000 pounds of explosives, has never been used in combat. “It’s a sophisticated, frightening piece of weaponry designed to hit deep underground nuclear facilities,” CNN reporter Brian Todd explained.

The likely target, if the U.S. decides to act, is Fordow, Iran’s nuclear enrichment facility buried beneath hundreds of feet of rock. “It’s possibly 300 feet underground, and no other bomb can destroy it,” CNN said.

The only aircraft capable of carrying this bomb is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which can fly long distances undetected. “It’s designed to sneak in and not be seen,” a defence expert told CNN, adding, “They could be in the air, and no one would know.”

CNN also interviewed Colonel Mark Carney, a retired U.S. military officer who oversaw the development of the bunker buster. He explained, “The idea is that the bomb penetrates through hundreds of feet of earth and rock and then explodes to collapse or destroy underground facilities.”

But experts say even this powerful bomb may not be enough on its own. “If the key parts of the Fordow facility are 300 feet deep, one bomb might not be enough. You’ll need to drop multiple bombs in the same spot,” CNN reported.


Another key concern is whether such a strike would cause a radiation leak. CNN said, “Three experts confirmed that any leak would likely be limited to the immediate area and wouldn’t cause a large-scale disaster.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said on CNN, “We take Iran’s threats seriously. When they say they want to destroy Israel, we believe them. They have tried to assassinate President Trump twice and have killed American soldiers in Syria and other parts of the Middle East.”

On whether Israel needs U.S. help to strike Iran’s nuclear program, Danon said, “We are a small country. We have technology and determination, but Iran is 80 times bigger. It will be much faster if other countries join us.”


He also questioned Iran’s uranium enrichment levels. “They don’t need that much enriched uranium for peaceful purposes. This is not about energy. It’s about weapons.”

CNN raised doubts about the urgency of Iran’s nuclear threat, citing U.S. intelligence reports that Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon and could be years away from making one. But Israel claims otherwise, saying Iran was “days away.”

“There is no certainty,” Colonel Carney said about the effectiveness of the bunker buster. “But there is a high likelihood that the bomb, if used in multiples, could seriously damage Fordow.”

As tensions remain high, the world is watching to see if President Trump will give the green light for a strike – and whether the U.S. will unleash its deadliest bomb to stop Iran’s nuclear plans.  - TWL Bureau