Curious how that would play out if other countries did the same. Oh no we didn’t declare war, it was this fat idiot Hirohito going rogue again, oopsie. Time for peace now, thank you for your attention to this matter.

I mean that’s what they are doing in the middle east all the time. They literally attack each other endlessly but aren’t technically at war most of the time.

OP is saying that there is a difference between actions that can be interpreted as an act of war and a formal declaration of war. It seems pedantic but I have to agree the difference is there. Iran has no interest declaring war on the US. Luckily there were enough adults making the decision that a retaliatory strike (with advance warning) was enough to call it a day.