The Pentagon is gaming out more than military moves if the shaky Iran ceasefire falls apart—it's also workshopping a fresh war name, sources tell NBC News. Two US officials say the Pentagon is considering dubbing any renewed campaign "Operation Sledgehammer," replacing "Operation Epic Fury," the label for the conflict that began Feb. 28 and was paused after 40 days of fighting.
The name change would be more than cosmetic. A White House official says any new combat phase would operate under a new title and be treated by the administration as restarting the 60-day clock under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional authorization for extended military action. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently asserted that Epic Fury "is over," even as the Pentagon continues to use the name and describes the ceasefire as a halt in major operations, not an end to the war. With Iran restricting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, US forces reinforced in the region, and President Trump openly skeptical that talks will work, officials say the current standoff "will not persist," though no order to resume large-scale strikes has been given.
News of the potential name change comes as the cost of the war so far has risen to $29 billion, according to an official who spoke to CNN. Gasoline prices have, of course, skyrocketed, and Trump recently said "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" when considering a potential ceasefire deal. Iran, meanwhile, is ready to "teach a lesson" to any aggressor, the speaker of the country's parliament said Tuesday, per CBS News.
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