US Operation Sledgehammer: US President Donald Trump has kept the door open for more military action against Iran if he thinks it is needed. While speaking aboard Air Force One on May 15, he repeated that stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons is his main goal. Reuters also reported him saying, “The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” and that he was not focused on Americans’ financial pain while making that call.
He also used very hard words about the conflict. In the same Air Force One exchange, Trump said, “I can say this with very, very strong conviction, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, not going to happen,” and added that he saw “total military victory” in the US campaign against Iran. Reuters and other outlets reported that he said the US had hit Iran’s naval and air power and its missile-related facilities hard.
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Pentagon may want a New Name
The Pentagon is now reported to be weighing a rename from “Operation Epic Fury” to “Operation Sledgehammer.” NBC’s reporting, as relayed by Reuters-linked coverage, says the reason is legal as much as military. A new operation name could be used to argue that the War Powers Act 60-day clock has restarted if large-scale fighting begins again.
That legal clock matters because the 1973 War Powers Resolution says the President must pull forces back or seek approval from Congress within 60 days after starting combat. Reuters reported that a House effort on May 14 to limit Trump’s war powers over Iran failed in a 212-212 tie, showing how divided Washington is on the issue.
What are Officials saying?
Officials quoted in the reporting said a fresh phase could be treated as a new start point. One US official said, “We are in a better spot now than on February 27. We have more firepower and capability.” A White House official also said that a new title would let the administration reset the timeline for military action.
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Earlier, after a ceasefire with Iran, the Trump administration said “Operation Epic Fury” was over. But later reports said the Pentagon still kept using the name in internal and public updates, which left the picture a bit foggy. Reuters also noted on May 15 that Trump said he would not be “much more patient” with Iran and that he still wanted a deal that keeps Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.
