US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of using the GBU-43/B bomb, known as the "mother of all bombs," to target Iranian nuclear facilities. This came in statements Trump made to Newsmax on Friday, commenting on reports that the US Department of Defense is considering using the bomb as part of potential attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities.
Trump clarified that the weapon mentioned is non-nuclear, noting that Washington is considering targeting an underground facility reportedly being built by Iran in the Mount Picax area. He said, "We are currently looking at Mount Picax; we may have to go there. We will try to hit it and destroy it quickly." When asked if the operation would involve US ground forces, Trump replied, "No, I do not expect that."
For his part, Trump pointed out that his country had previously inflicted serious damage on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, considering that withdrawing before eliminating the possibility of Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon might necessitate a new military operation in the future. He said, "We want Iran to never possess a nuclear weapon, because I believe they would use it immediately if they got it." In another context, Trump expressed his belief that the war is nearing its end, stating, "The Iran war will end very soon, one way or another. They (the Iranians) are negotiating with us, but it will end very soon one way or another, and oil and gasoline prices will drop."
Trump added that he criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, considering that reaching a settlement with Russia regarding the war in Ukraine would not be through him. He said, "Zelensky is not a suitable person to deal with; he says he wants to reach a settlement but he doesn't want to. I am not one of Zelensky's biggest fans." The White House confirmed in a statement that Trump is keeping all options open to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The GBU-43/B bomb weighs approximately 9,800 kilograms and is one of the largest conventional non-nuclear bombs in the US arsenal.
Details of the bomb
The GBU-43/B bomb was used for the first time in April 2017, during Trump's first presidential term, against a tunnel complex belonging to the ISIS terrorist group in Afghanistan. American networks CNN and CBS News reported that the Trump administration was considering using the bomb against Iran, should the US president agree to resume attacks before or after the midterm elections.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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