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US President Donald Trump has indicated that the GBU-43/B bomb, known as the "mother of all bombs," could be used in strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, while insisting the weapon is not nuclear.

In an interview with Newsmax, Trump also said an underground site under construction at Iran's Mount Pickaxe could be targeted, predicted the war with Iran would end very soon, and said he is "not a big fan" of Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskiy.

Reports of MOAB consideration

CNN and CBS News had reported that the administration was considering using the GBU-43/B against Iran if Trump approved a resumption of strikes before or after the midterm elections. The White House told CBS News in a written statement that Trump is keeping all options on the table to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The GBU-43/B (MOAB) weighs about 9,800 kilograms and is known as the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. It was first used in April 2017, during Trump's first term, against a tunnel complex belonging to the terrorist organization ISIS in Afghanistan.

Key takeaways

• Trump said the GBU-43/B, the "mother of all bombs," is not nuclear and could be used against Iran's nuclear facilities.
• US officials are examining an underground site under construction at Mount Pickaxe in Iran, Trump said, adding he does not foresee using ground forces.
• Trump said Iran asked the US and Israel to stop military operations and that negotiations are underway.
• He said he is "not a big fan" of Zelenskiy and finds the Ukrainian president harder to deal with than Putin.