US weighs ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iran as Hormuz crisis deepens

WASHINGTON: The US military has developed contingency plans that could involve deploying the “mother of all bombs” against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, CNN reported on Thursday, citing US officials familiar with the discussions.

The potential use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, would represent a significant escalation in the conflict with Iran. However, questions remain over whether such a strike would achieve Washington’s strategic objectives, according to officials cited in the report.

Reuters said it could not immediately verify CNN’s report. There was no confirmation that Trump had authorised the weapon’s use.

The reported planning comes as the US president predicts that the war will end “very soon”, even as attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz intensify and threaten a vital route for global energy supplies.

Trump predicts war will end soon

Speaking to reporters in Montana late Wednesday, Trump said the conflict would end soon and predicted a sharp decline in oil prices once hostilities ceased.

“The Iran war will end very soon … Soon, as they want it to end,” he said.

Trump reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, adding that oil prices would “drop like a rock” after the conflict.

However, his remarks also reflected uncertainty over diplomatic efforts to end the fighting. Addressing a rally in Montana, he questioned which Iranian officials Washington was negotiating with as indirect communications continued.

“I should have probably left their leaders because I don’t know who the hell we’re negotiating with,” Trump said.

The president claimed that US military operations had severely weakened Iran’s armed forces, asserting that the country’s navy had been destroyed and its fighter aircraft rendered unusable.

Trump said Iran previously possessed 159 ships and 274 fighter jets, claiming that none of the aircraft remained available for use. These figures and assessments were not independently verified in the report.

The comments came as Washington continued to pursue its stated objective of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons while seeking an end to the conflict.

Commercial ships sink near Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, maritime security concerns have intensified after two commercial vessels sank near the Strait of Hormuz following separate projectile strikes, according to maritime officials.

The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride, which had a capacity of 2,824 twenty-foot equivalent units, sustained damage and caught fire before sinking while transiting the strait on Tuesday.

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said all 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

In a separate incident, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao sank near the waterway weeks after being struck by a projectile on September 23, according to data from the International Maritime Organization.

One crew member was killed in the earlier incident, while the remaining crew members were evacuated, maritime sources said.

The two vessels were identified as the second and third ships to have sunk since the US-Iran war began on February 28, based on an analysis of IMO casualty data.

Singapore’s maritime authority expressed concern over continued attacks on commercial shipping, describing them as unjustifiable and a breach of international law.

Maritime risk management company MARISKS warned that the threat extended beyond oil tankers, with container ships and bulk carriers also suffering serious damage.

Global energy supplies under pressure

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for international energy markets, carrying about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war.

Iran has increasingly restricted maritime traffic in the waterway following US and Israeli strikes, seeking to gain leverage over Washington. Tehran has said its attacks are a response to the US blockade of Iranian ports and tighter sanctions.

Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran was adopting new tactics against commercial vessels to keep oil prices elevated and influence US midterm elections.

Previous incidents have included the sinking of the Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige in March and the seizure of the MSC Francesca by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in April.

With military escalation still a possibility, diplomatic efforts uncertain and commercial shipping facing mounting risks, the conflict continues to threaten regional stability and global energy markets.