‘Performative’: CNN Reporter Details Trump Looking at Dropping ‘Mother of All Bombs’ On Iran

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer spoke to senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen on Thursday about his new reporting that President Donald Trump is considering new strike plans from the Pentagon that include using the so-called “mother of all bombs” on Iran, which Cohen explained would be unlikely to achieve any military objectives.

Blitzer began the segment, “We have exclusive new CNN reporting: multiple U.S. officials now telling us that the Pentagon has developed new strike plans on Iran that could potentially include what’s called the “mother of all bombs.” Strike plans to attack Iran’s energy and nuclear sites. CNN’s senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen is here with us in The Situation Room. This would be a pretty serious escalation, wouldn’t it?”

“Absolutely, Wolf, and one that will certainly prompt a strong retaliation from Iran, while also likely not forcing them to capitulate to U.S. demands,” Cohen replied, adding:

In the case of Iranian nuclear sites, using this particular weapon against a site with facilities located deep underground is unlikely to have the penetrating capability to actually destroy those targets, which raises the question of why you would take this step and use this particular weapon, potentially, if Donald Trump decides to resume combat operations.

And we’re told that this weapon does carry a psychological effect that other, more conventional munitions in the U.S. arsenal do not have. And it’s one that President Donald Trump could use, potentially, to try to find a way to present a definitive end to this war, at least message it as such, and try to sell that to the American people. He’s very aware that this war is deeply unpopular among Republican and Democratic voters.

The midterms have really highlighted that for the president. He has publicly said that he does not intend to launch additional strikes against Iran before the midterms, though one Trump advisor did question whether that could potentially change. And I think what’s clear here, though, Wolf, from our reporting, is that President Donald Trump is looking for a way out of this conflict without having to commit additional U.S. forces to the region, without putting U.S. boots on the ground, and certainly, if he can avoid it, without escalating the conflict further for fear of it widening the war.

Blitzer followed up, “And this bomb, they call it the MOAB, the mother of all bombs, it’s a huge, powerful explosive device.”

Cohen agreed, “Absolutely, but it’s not designed in particular for these kinds of targets, like underground facilities or even destroying energy infrastructure, which is one of the things that was listed in this target package that sources described to us, too. So, again, it does raise this prospect of whether Donald Trump is looking for something more performative that he can use to sell, declare victory effectively, and pull U.S. forces.”

Blitzer added, “I want to ask you about another surprising comment we just heard from the president. He now says he may have gone too far in killing Iran’s leaders. Tell us about that.”

“I think that comment does underscore a concern that was actually raised by the U.S. intelligence community before Donald Trump launched this conflict, which was that if you target the Iranian leadership, the now-killed supreme leader, that leadership would be replaced by a more hardline, likely IRGC-led conglomerate of Iranian officials. That’s exactly what has played out here, and the president has been frustrated by that reality as he sought a diplomatic resolution, one that really does not appear to be in reach at this time,” Cohen replied.

Blitzer ended it there, “Zach Cohen, thanks very much. You’re a busy guy.”

Watch above via CNN.

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