Pentagon considering re-naming Iran war ‘Sledgehammer’ if ceasefire collapses

EXCLUSIVEIran warIran warPentagon considering re-naming Iran war ‘Sledgehammer’ if ceasefire collapses The discussions underscore how seriously the Trump administration is considering resuming attacks and could allow Trump to argue that it restarts the 60-day clock requires congressional authorization for war.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A woman walks near a billboard featuring an image of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, on Monday.Majid-Asgaripour / West Asia News Agency via ReutersShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 2:55 PM EDTBy Mosheh Gains, Courtney Kube and Monica AlbaWASHINGTON — The U.S. military is considering officially re-naming the war with Iran “Operation Sledgehammer” if the current ceasefire collapses and President Donald Trump decides to re-start major combat operations, according to two U.S. officials.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The discussions about possibly replacing “Operation Epic Fury” with “Operation Sledgehammer” underscore how seriously the administration is considering resuming the war started on Feb. 28, and could allow Trump to argue that it restarts the 60-day clock that requires congressional authorization for war.The Trump administration declared an end to Operation Epic Fury after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in early April to pursue diplomatic negotiations. At the time, the administration informed Congress that hostilities with Iran had terminated. But the Pentagon has continued to describe the conflict with Iran as Operation Epic Fury, including when providing public updates. One Pentagon official said that Epic Fury continues and that the ceasefire simply has paused major combat operations. A cargo ship docked last week at the Port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.Amr Alfiky / ReutersA spokesperson for the Pentago...