Pentagon Considers Renaming Resumed Iran Combat 'Operation Sledgehammer' — Legal Maneuver to Reset 60-Day War Powers Clock — Day 75

NBC News reported on May 13, 2026 (Day 75) that the Pentagon is considering renaming any resumed combat operations against Iran 'Operation Sledgehammer' — a legal maneuver intended to allow Trump to argue the 60-day War Powers Resolution clock resets from the beginning of the new operation. The previous 'Operation Epic Fury' was formally declared terminated on May 1, 2026. Under this theory, each new named operation would restart the 60-day congressional notification period, potentially giving the administration an indefinite legal basis to conduct military operations without Congress passing a formal AUMF. Constitutional law experts immediately disputed the logic: Bruce Fein had previously stated the WPR 'never says anywhere' that the clock stops or resets for rebranding, calling such arguments moves that 'turn the resolution into simply a paper tiger.' No AUMF vote is currently scheduled in either chamber. The reporting came the same day as Trump's departure for Beijing and was interpreted as evidence of active military planning for combat resumption — a contingency the administration is clearly treating as near-term rather than hypothetical.