Operation Iron Hammer: The United States would have already found a new name for their war against Iran, in case of renewed fighting

The American army is considering renaming a potential resumption of the war in Iran “Operation Iron Hammer,” should the ceasefire come to an end, according to two American officials cited by NBC News.

“The Epic Fury operation is over, we have passed this stage,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 5 from the White House. “We are now in a purely defensive situation,” he added. This means that the United States will not strike first. However, if they attack us, we will respond.

Any new military operation against Iran would be conducted “under a new name and a new procedure,” a White House official told NBC News. “From the administration’s point of view, this would mean restarting negotiations with Congress,” reported NBC News.

By renaming the operation, the administration hopes to reset the 60-day waiting period after which Congressional authorization is required.

According to the Constitution, only Congress has the power to “declare” war. However, a law passed in 1973 allows the President to initiate a limited military intervention to respond to an emergency created by an attack on the United States.

The same text requires that if the President deploys US troops for more than 60 days, he must obtain authorization from the legislative branch, different from a declaration of war.

After more than a month of truce, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran have stagnated, with proposals being exchanged through the Pakistani mediator to strengthen the ceasefire, but without conclusive results. Donald Trump stated on Monday that the ceasefire was “on life support.”

During a phone call with a Fox News journalist, the American President also mentioned on Monday that he was considering restarting his operation to protect ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran since the end of the Israeli-American offensive in late February.

As per BNC News, citing an American official, Donald Trump is considering “different options to reopen the strait and break the deadlock,” but has not “ordered the resumption of large-scale US military operations.” On the other hand, the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that Iran is ready to “retaliate and teach a lesson” in case of any aggression.