The Pentagon is considering renaming the military operation against Iran from "Epic Fury" to "Sledgehammer" /Sledgehammer/ “ if the ceasefire ends, NBC News reported, citing its sources.
Such discussions indicate that the US administration is seriously considering resuming military action. The White House believes the new name will reset the 60-day countdown in Congress, after which the president would need legislative approval to resume military action.
US-Iran relations are at a critical stalemate and an unstable ceasefire has been in place since the outbreak of full-scale war on February 28, 2026.
A temporary ceasefire brokered by Pakistan in April is on the verge of collapse. US President Donald Trump has officially declared Tehran's latest peace proposal "totally unacceptable" and "garbage". Trump said the ceasefire was "on command breathing". The White House has warned that if a deal is not reached to disarm Iran, military action will be renewed and the country will be "decimated" /drastically reduced, destroyed - Latin/.
The talks are at an impasse due to radically divergent demands. Washington insists on a complete cessation of uranium enrichment, the transfer of existing Iranian stocks and the liquidation of its ballistic missile program.
Iran demands a permanent ceasefire on all fronts (including a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon), recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the unfreezing of assets and reparations for war damage.
Iranian lawmakers threaten to raise uranium enrichment to 90% (military grade) if attacks resume.
Although Iran's military capacity has been seriously damaged by the strikes, Tehran has successfully imposed a near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The passage of tankers has been reduced to a minimum. This has led to a jump in Brent crude oil above 104 – $113 per barrel. Inflation in the US has accelerated sharply due to fuel prices, which forced Trump to consider an emergency suspension of the federal gasoline tax.
The UN warns of a humanitarian crisis and global fertilizer shortage due to the closure of shipping in the Gulf.
Tensions are growing outside Iran. Kuwait reported the capture of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fighters who tried to infiltrate the strategic island of Bubiyan, and neighboring countries such as the UAE and Qatar reported drone attacks.
The Pentagon officially announced that so far the direct military spending of the US in the conflict amounts to $29 billion for ammunition and equipment alone. A significant part of the stock of anti-aircraft missiles “Patriot“ has been used up.