Why US May Rename Its War With Iran to ‘Operation Sledgehammer’ From 'Operation Epic Fury'

The Trump administration is considering renaming its military campaign against Iran if the current ceasefire breaks down and major combat operations resume. This would allow the president to argue the 60-day window requiring congressional authorisation for war had effectively started again from scratch.

Two US officials told NBC News that "Operation Sledgehammer" is among the names under consideration as a potential replacement for "Operation Epic Fury," the designation under which the conflict began on February 28. The discussions are described as reflecting how seriously the White House is weighing a return to active hostilities, rather than simply contingency planning for an unlikely scenario. Operation Sledgehammer is not the only name being considered, the officials said.

The strategic logic behind a name change goes beyond branding. When the Trump administration declared an end to Operation Epic Fury following the ceasefire agreed in early April, it formally informed Congress that hostilities with Iran had terminated. That declaration was itself significant — it was, in part, an attempt to sidestep the 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution that requires presidents to seek legislative authorisation for continued military action.

By launching a new named operation, the administration could argue that any resumed campaign constituted a fresh conflict rather than a continuation of the previous one — effectively resetting the clock and buying another 60 days before congressional approval would formally be required. Critics in Congress are likely to contest that interpretation vigorously.

The Confusion in Messaging

However, the discussions expose an inconsistency in how the administration has described the current state of affairs. Whilst the White House declared Operation Epic Fury over when announcing the ceasefire, the Pentagon has continued to use the Epic Fury name in public updates — with one Pentagon official stating that the operation is ongoing and that the ceasefire has merely paused major combat operations rather than ended the conflict.

Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters last that Operation Epic Fury concluded and the offensive stage of the war with Iran is "over" as well.

Earlier, Iran's top negotiator said, "we know well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we are just getting started"