The United States has entered an unprecedented strategic impasse during the unfortunate war it has launched against Iran, since now President Donald Trump is considering a... spectacular exit from the Persian Gulf front, by means of a PR strike that would evoke the operation against Venezuela and enable him to declare a «paper victory» and withdraw from the Persian Gulf before the midterm elections, according to an exclusive report by CNN on October 16.
Specifically, CNN, citing informed sources close to the Pentagon, reveals that Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to develop various operational military plans.
And the criterion for choosing one plan over another will likely not be military success, but rather something that resembles a public relations victory...
However, on the real battlefield (and not the television one...) Iran appears to definitively «lock in» its control over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran signaling that the Strait will reopen only on condition of the withdrawal of American military forces from the region.
Meanwhile, another Western tanker was engulfed in flames on October 16, following an astounding strike by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with missiles and drones...
Unfathomable Iranian ultimatum to the US: Hormuz closed until all your forces withdraw from the Middle East
Nevertheless, on October 16 Iran issued an ultimatum to the United States, signaling that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen only on condition of the withdrawal of American military forces from the region.
The spokesperson for the Iranian military, Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami-Nia, characteristically warned that «if they do not leave, we will expel them», according to what was broadcast by the Iranian television network Press TV.
Mohammad Akrami-Nia argued that the withdrawal of the US would pave the way for the creation of a collective security system by the regional nations themselves, without the presence of American military forces.
At the same time, he assessed that such a development could also contribute to the improvement of the global economy.
The Iranian official directly linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the departure of American forces, presenting regional cooperation as an alternative solution to the military presence of Washington and the security umbrella it provides to the region.
New IRGC attack on tanker that attempted to breach the Iranian blockade
An oil tanker was engulfed in flames in a prohibited maritime zone east of the Strait of Hormuz, according to an announcement by the Navy of Iran.
As disclosed by the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, surveillance teams detected a tanker ablaze a few hours ago while it was within an area subject to navigation restrictions, east of the Strait of Hormuz.
?? Iranian Navy: Tanker that went dark is on fire in a restricted zone near Hormuz The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army says its monitoring teams spotted a violating oil tanker on fire a few hours ago. The ship was in a restricted zone east of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Navy's public relations department, the tanker had switched off its tracking systems. It was trying to cross the restricted area in the Sea of Oman. The Navy warned that unauthorized movement through restricted routes and zones creates insecurity and serious risks for other vessels.
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) October 16, 2026
According to the Press Office of the Iranian Navy, the vessel had disabled its positioning and tracking systems, attempting to cross the prohibited maritime zone in the Sea of Oman.
The Iranian Navy warned that unauthorized transit of vessels through restricted maritime routes and zones undermines the safety of navigation and poses serious dangers to remaining ships operating in the broader region.
CNN: Trump will attempt... «Venezuela 2.0», will declare paper victory and withdraw
The Western press continues to speculate regarding the potential launch of a military operation against Iran even before the congressional elections.
CNN, citing informed sources, reports that Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to develop various operational military plans.
And the criterion for choosing one plan over another will likely not be military success, but rather something that resembles a public relations (PR) victory.
Such an operation would certainly have to be conducted with great fanfare to bolster the electoral standing of pro-Trump forces.
A ground operation is ruled out, as it would clearly constitute a second Vietnam for Washington. Theoretically, a Maduro-2.0 scenario is unthinkable.
However, Iran is not Venezuela, and Mojtaba Khamenei will obviously not sit by the swimming pool waiting for American special forces to arrive, like Nicolas Maduro at his residence.
«A nuclear explosion would create very spectacular footage...»
Thus, the only remaining option is a strike with missiles and bombs.
Ideally, a nuclear detonation would create a good visual.
Yet this would be a major blunder, even for the White House.
And for Donald Trump, with his demonstrative peace-oriented stance, such a move would simply kill him politically.
Therefore, a strike must be delivered with something comparable to a nuclear weapon, at least on the scale of a pyrotechnic show. It would also be desirable to link the nuclear topic to this event for added gravity, but only within a peacemaking, anti-nuclear context.
In fact, the confrontation between Washington and Tehran began with strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Consequently, this line must continue so that the actions of Donald Trump appear consistent.
Americans enlist the «Mother of All Bombs»
In this sense, the «formula» of Donald Trump would sound something like this: «Great America fights nuclear weapons, but does not use them itself».
The MOAB bomb (Mother Of All Bombs) would fit this narrative perfectly.
This is, of course, a playful acronym, but there is a more standard military acronym: Massive Ordnance Air Blast.
Donald Trump has in the past used superbombs against Iranian nuclear facilities. But those were a different type of bomb, the GBU-57.
This bomb weighs roughly 14 tons and is designed to penetrate ground and concrete bunkers to a depth of up to 60 meters.
Given this specific use, it remains unclear how the GBU-57 performed against their targets in Iran.
Whether they reached underground storage facilities or simply wedged into the ground.
Donald Trump, naturally, claims that all Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed during those bombings, but how can anyone obtain proof if everything is underground?
Targeting visual impact, because strategic victory is impossible
Yet the mother of all bombs could produce a powerful visual effect.
This bomb is detonated in the air.
Therefore, an impressive visual can be captured from various camera angles if prepared in advance.
The bomb is so large (approximately 10 meters long and over 1 meter in diameter) that no strategic bomber could carry it.
Consequently, it is transported and dropped from a standard C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
The dimensions of its cargo bay allow the bomb to be stacked easily on a specialized platform.
At moment «Z», the platform with the bomb is pulled out of the cargo bay by parachute, the munition detaches, and glides to its target using GPS and an inertial guidance system.
How the Mother of All Bombs was used in 2017
The US used this bomb only once against ISIS fighters in Afghanistan in 2017.
The strike targeted a mountain base and, according to Afghan officials, the explosion killed approximately 100 people.
The yield of the bomb is considered comparable to the detonation of the smallest tactical nuclear device.
Donald Trump would certainly like this option.
And serving this moment in the right direction for his voters would be a breeze with public relations techniques. And if Donald Trump can also reach an understanding with Tehran to play along with the desired imagery, then the deal will be child's play.
A (spectacular and) artificial image of victory before... the midterms
It must be recalled that the elections are roughly two weeks away.
Will this «bomb-bomb» plan be chosen, or is it all merely informational noise fueled by American media? The Pentagon responds that it is prepared for multiple operational scenarios.
In this sense, the use of the «mother of all bombs» is perhaps the simplest, cheapest, and most effective option.
However, peaceful Iranians will clearly not rejoice at such a move.
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