WASHINGTON, US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait” amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
Trump made the suggestion in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.
He claimed that the United States now has control of the strategic waterway. He then asked whether the Strait of Hormuz should be renamed after him.
Trump added a wordplay, saying the waterway would be “hotter” than ever, referring to both its geopolitical importance and his proposed name.
White House Uses ‘Trump Strait’ on Map
The White House later shared a map of the Gulf region on social media.
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The map used the term “Trump Strait” for the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House also added a brief comment suggesting that the proposed name sounded good.
The move further highlighted Trump’s latest effort to promote new names for major geographical locations.
Hormuz Remains a Major Global Oil Route
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Around one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass through the waterway.
The strait has become a major flashpoint during the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Recent military activity and restrictions have sharply reduced commercial shipping through the route.
Iran Disputes US Control Claim
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States has gained control of the Strait of Hormuz.
He made a similar claim in August, saying the US had “total control” of the waterway. Iran rejected that position and said the strait remained under Iranian control and management.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy also said in August that it had full control over the strategic passage.
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The competing claims come as military tensions continue around the waterway.
Trump Previously Proposed Other Name Changes
The Strait of Hormuz is not the first major geographical feature that Trump has sought to rename.
During his second term, he has promoted several controversial geographical name changes.
He ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the “Gulf of America” in US government usage in 2025.
More recently, his administration moved to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
Trump’s latest proposal follows the same pattern of using geographical names as part of his political messaging.
Trump Previously Downplayed Hormuz Renaming Idea
Trump has previously suggested that he was not necessarily serious about changing the name of the Strait of Hormuz.
When a reporter asked him about the proposal at the Oval Office, Trump reportedly laughed and indicated that the idea had simply come up.
His latest Truth Social post, however, again put the proposed “Trump Strait” name into the international spotlight.
The suggestion comes at a sensitive time as the United States and Iran remain locked in a military confrontation.
Any formal change to the internationally recognized name of the waterway would also raise wider diplomatic and international naming issues. For now, “Strait of Hormuz” remains the established name used internationally.
