Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Benjamin Netanyahu is now allegedly seeking the US-made most powerful non-nuclear bomb, the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) to target Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility. With the Israeli-Iranian conflict reaching the fifth day, military strategists believe that this precision-guided "bunker buster" is the only weapon that can penetrate Fordow's deeply buried defenses.

What Is The GBU-57 MOP?

Developed by Boeing for the US military, the GBU-57A/B is a 14-tonne bomb designed to eliminate deeply buried and hardened targets. Weighing close to 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg) and over 20 feet in length, the MOP penetrates up to 200 feet of ground or 60 feet of reinforced concrete before exploding its 5,300-pound high-explosive payload. It is now stationed in Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and the B-2 can deliver two MOPs per sortie. The warhead is encased in high-strength steel and is guided through GPS-aided inertial navigation, which allows it to make precision attacks on deep underground nuclear facilities like Iran's Fordow site, which sits deep inside a mountain near the city of Qom.

The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant has been of international interest for years. Constructed beneath a mountain to resist airstrikes, it is suspected to contain uranium enrichment activities that move Iran closer to nuclear-grade weapons. Although Israel has mounted several strikes on Iranian military facilities over the past week, it has not been able to infiltrate Fordow's stringent defences. That’s why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly lobbying Washington for access to the GBU-57, as per sources quoted by NDTV and other international outlets. Despite its advanced air force, Israel does not possess the GBU-57 or B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the only US aircraft capable of delivering it.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Falling Behind? India’s Nuclear Arsenal Grows Stronger Than Ever | SIPRI Report Reveals All

A Strategic Weapon, Not Just A Bomb

Although the MOP has not been deployed in combat, its presence acts as a strategic deterrent. "You reserve it for nations such as Iran or North Korea," retired US Marine Corps Colonel Steve Ganyard said in an interview with ABC News, adding that the weapon is designed for infrequent but high-leverage situations. Its distinctive delayed detonation feature guarantees the bomb detonates only after penetrating a target deeply, creating a maximum internal blast without causing a widespread surface-level blast. But if the MOP is to be employed against Iran, the US would either need to approve the mission itself or work closely with Israel to allow one a step that would significantly escalate Washington's role in the conflict.

ALSO READ: 'The Battle Begins': Khamenei Retorts As Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Unconditional Surrender’| Is Iran Planning A Full-Blown War?

To date, the US has not asserted any intentions to utilise the GBU-57 in a live operation. President Donald Trump has been vocally pro-Israel but has yet to publicly make a statement supporting the utilisation of the MOP. Use of this weapon in an attack on Iranian territory would mark a diplomatic shift militarily, diplomatically, and on the regional front.