'Father of all bombs' vs 'mother of all bombs': Iran threatens US with new weapon as Trump hints at MOAB strike

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday (Oct 21) that it is getting ready to reveal a new weapon it referred to as the "Father of All Bombs". Without offering many details about the weapon, IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said, “We are in the stage of preparing to unveil the 'Father of All Bombs'. This is something new for the enemy.” The announcement comes after reports that Washington has prepared plans to use a Massive Ordnance Air Blast, dubbed the "mother of all bombs", to hit military sites in Iran if ordered by US President Donald Trump. So, what is Iran's new weapon, and what devastation can it wreak? Here's all we know.

Trump's 'Mother of All Bombs'

On Friday, Trump hinted at the possible use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, also known as the "mother of all bombs", to target Iranian nuclear facilities. Weighing around 9,800 kilograms (21,600 pounds), the GBU-43/B is one of the largest non-nuclear conventional bombs in the US arsenal. It was first used in April 2017, during Trump's first presidential term, against a tunnel complex belonging to the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist organisation in Afghanistan.

Iran's ‘Father of All Bombs’

While the IRGC has intentionally kept vague about the specifics of the new weapon, in 2017, the IRGC Aerospace Force had announced it had commissioned Iran’s Defense Industries to build an indigenous 10-tonne conventional bomb. At the time, they asserted it was heavier than the 9.8-tonne US MOAB, highly destructive, and designed to be launched from Ilyushin (Il-76) strategic transport airlifters. The 2026 announcement may be an upgraded, modernised, or official public unveiling of this project.

Iran's shifting doctrine

Mohebbi claimed that Iran's missile stockpile has increased by 1.5 times following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, without providing specific figures. "The quality of the missiles has improved significantly, and their range, destructive power and accuracy in hitting targets have increased," he added.

The IRGC spokesman said Iran is shifting its defense doctrine toward establishing permanent and absolute deterrence. "Previously, Iran's defense doctrine was purely defensive. We used to say that if a country attacked us, we would respond," Mohebbi said. "Now, we say that if a country attacks us, we will not only respond but also launch an offensive," he added.

Mohebbi said Iran would respond to any assault with similar measures, stressing that the country's military doctrine would increasingly rely on asymmetric warfare. "Our doctrine will no longer be merely offensive; it will be asymmetric. We will attack the enemy in a way that makes them feel the intensity of our response," he said.