U.S. Considers Reviving Iran Campaign Under New Codename if Cease-Fire Collapses

Overview

• U.S. officials told NBC the military has contingency plans to resume strikes under a new label such as Sledgehammer or Marteau de fer if the fragile truce breaks.
• The administration says the earlier Epic Fury campaign is finished, and officials said a rebrand would reset War Powers deadlines and trigger fresh talks with Congress.
• President Trump called the cease-fire tenuous, said he will keep a blockade on Iranian ports, and discussed ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though no large U.S. assault has been ordered.
• Iran signaled it would hit back if attacked, and state media reported Revolutionary Guard drills in Tehran.
• Officials said U.S. forces in the region now outnumber February levels, and a decision could hinge on Trump’s talks in China, with any restart likely to disrupt shipping through the Hormuz chokepoint.