the new Iran’s powerful and deadly arsenal, is causing panic in the Gulf states and Israel. But Russian military expert Vladimir Korovin expressed doubt that Iran would use the 10-ton conventional aviation bomb against the U.S.
The creation of the 10-ton non-nuclear aviation bomb, has sent a strong signal to Israel and Tehran’s other potential adversaries in the Middle Eastern region. Korovin, an expert at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations’ Center for Military and Political Studies, said that Israel was deeply worried about the fact that Iran is edging closer to its border in Syria.
Although Iran was not going to use the bomb against the United States, but Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain are the main addressees of Tehran’s “message,” according to Korovin. Reports cited a top Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander, Ali Hajizadeh, that Tehran had developed a massive non-nuclear munition comparable to the US’s GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) also known as the “Mother of All Bombs.” Describing the new bomb, Hajizadeh specified that it could be launched from “Ilyushin aircraft” and dubbed it “the father of all bombs” in a reference to America’s most powerful conventional ordnance.
Commenting on Hajizadeh’s statement, Korovin pointed out that given the heavy load of the bomb it is most likely the Iranian top military commander referred to the modernized Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO reporting name: Candid) — a multi-purpose four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter, produced either in the USSR or the Russian Federation. However, according to the expert, the possibility that the Iranian 10-ton munition will be used in real combat is doubtful, since the modified Il-76 bomber carrying the “father of all bombs” must be accompanied by jet fighters, and remain at a certain altitude flying to the target in the absence of fire resistance from the ground. “Therefore — it’s just a demonstration of Iran’s capabilities,” Korovin noted.
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