The strike plans involve the possible use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed the "mother of all bombs," CNN reported, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter. CNBC has not independently confirmed the report.
The 21,600-pound air-burst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.
President Donald Trump said last week that he would not order a resumption of military strikes before the midterm elections on Nov. 3. Tensions in the Middle East are nonetheless elevated amid the sinking of a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and a string of fatal attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis.
The White House faces mounting pressure to show progress in its Middle East objectives ahead of the midterms, as the American public increasingly feels the impact at home via soaring energy prices and wider cost pressures.
Tehran is reportedly strengthening its defenses around sensitive energy and nuclear sites in preparation for a potential resumption of attacks, according to the Wall Street Journal.