Trump Launches Operation Slapback Against Iran After Ships Come Under Fire

President Donald Trump has intensified the U.S. military posture toward Iran following a series of attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House has indicated that strikes could continue for several days, or potentially weeks, unless Tehran changes course.

Some Trump advisers have privately begun using the unofficial label “Operation B**** Slap” to describe the campaign, according to the New York Post. 

Several administration officials told the outlet the phrase has surfaced in private conversations and email exchanges, while both White House and Pentagon officials emphasized that it is not the formal title of any U.S. military operation.

Officials say the length of the latest bombing campaign will be determined largely by Iran’s actions in the days ahead.

Trump has signaled he is unwilling to let further threats to international shipping pass without a response, especially after Iran allegedly targeted several vessels in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.

“He still wants this thing to be over. But if Iran is shooting at ships, he’s not just gonna sit there and do nothing,” a source close to the White House told the Post.

A former White House official also told the newspaper that Trump’s approach to the crisis has grown more personal as the confrontation escalates.

‘Trump is not coordinating with anyone… he’s going with his gut,’ the former official said.

The president’s latest military push marks a sharp shift from the fragile diplomatic efforts that had followed months of fighting.

Trump declared this week that both the three-month ceasefire and the more recent memorandum of understanding with Tehran were effectively finished. 

He warned Iran’s leaders they could face attacks on critical infrastructure, a renewed blockade and even the seizure of Kharg Island if hostilities continue.

His increasingly combative rhetoric has also caught attention inside Washington.

On Wednesday, Trump branded Iran’s leadership ‘scum,’ ‘liars,’ ‘loco’ and ‘sick,’ language that is said to have surprised some senior officials, although a former White House official said there was little disagreement with his tougher approach.

‘This is all Trump, exactly as he likes it,’ the former official said. ‘[It is] almost impossible to tell what his next move is until he makes the decision himself.’

While the colorful nickname has circulated among some senior advisers, several administration officials emphasized it is purely informal and should not be confused with the military’s official operational titles.

According to the Post, some sources familiar with internal discussions claim to have never heard the phrase used.

Even as the military campaign intensifies, Trump has continued to leave the door open to diplomacy.

Officials said the president has preserved a range of options – from sustained military action to renewed negotiations involving Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and first son-in-law Jared Kushner should Iran seek fresh talks.

Meanwhile, the fighting has continued to expand on the ground.

Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that during the second consecutive night of US strikes, American forces targeted a rail bridge near the Turkmenistan border, severing a key transportation corridor linking Iran with China and Russia.

Tehran responded on Thursday by launching missiles and drones toward US military installations in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan, according to Iranian officials. 

Those countries later said their air defenses intercepted the incoming projectiles.

The latest escalation follows a series of attacks earlier this week in which Iran targeted three commercial ships traveling along the US-preferred shipping route off Oman’s coast rather than the route promoted by Tehran.

Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning from a stop in the United Kingdom, Trump insisted the United States had delivered an overwhelming response.

‘We just hit them very hard, and I’d say we hit them 20-1. Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them 20. We did a little something today, but it was really retribution for last night. They hit actually three boats, not two,’ he told reporters.

The president also argued Iran’s military position had deteriorated significantly.

‘We’ve already won militarily. They have very little left. And they want to make a deal so badly. They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don’t know if they’re worthy… I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal, that’s the problem.’

Trump suggested Iran’s attacks on shipping reflected a leadership acting irrationally.

‘They’re sort of crazy, to be honest with you. They’re sort of crazy. They’re a little bit out of control, but they want to make a deal, badly,’ he said.

There has been little public indication from Tehran that it is preparing to soften its position.

During funeral events for Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, mourners carried large banners calling for Trump’s death.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also condemned Trump’s rhetoric, accusing the US president of resorting to inflammatory language.

‘Iranians… do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action,’ Araghchi said on Wednesday.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued his own warning as the confrontation deepened.

‘Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit,’ he said on Thursday. ‘Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with ‘Iranian arrangements,’ not American threats.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for further comment.