Washington: Adding another personal branding exercise to his growing list of proposed changes to familiar geographical names, US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as the “Trump Strait”. The suggestion came as the strategic waterway is caught up in the war with Iran and witnessing a new wave of attack.
“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT??? Like America itself, it would be ‘hotter’ than ever before!” the US president said on his Truth Social on Wednesday (September 2).
His proposal is based on his claim that the United States now controls the Strait. Iran has restricted access to the waterway during the war, and US forces have launched new wave of strikes in the area. The fighting has also pushed oil prices higher.
The Strait is one of the world's most important energy routes, with around one-fifth of international oil supplies passing through it. It has become an important part of the conflict between the United States and Iran, making Trump’s idea of naming it after himself even more unusual.
The idea of calling the waterway “Trump Strait” is the latest in a series of geographical renaming proposals from the US president.
A week ago, Trump ordered Lake Ontario to be renamed “Lake America” while fighting a trade war with Canada. He had already renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on his first day back in office in January 2025.
Several of his earlier renaming proposals began as comments that appeared to be made in a joking or casual manner. He later moved to put some of those ideas into practice, giving the comments greater weight than ordinary presidential banter.
The latest proposal follows the same pattern. Trump did not simply suggest a new name for the waterway. He proposed the name after claiming that the United States had taken control of the Strait and added that it would be “hotter” than ever.
However, the strategically significant chokepoint is not a piece of US territory. It is an international waterway bordered by Iran and Oman and has long been one of the world's most sensitive maritime routes. Its importance comes from the huge volume of oil and gas that moves through the narrow passage every day.
The president has repeatedly called for US control of the Strait in recent weeks. He has also posted a map showing the waterway as a “new US territory”, while Iran has continued to exercise influence over access to the route.
Tehran effectively shut down the chokepoint as part of its response to the war that Trump and Israel began in late February. The restriction has affected commercial shipping and disrupted energy markets across the world.
The latest fighting has added another layer to the situation. US forces launched new wave of strikes near the Strait on Tuesday (September 1) after Trump said Iran is making new efforts to lay naval mines in the waterway.
Iran has accused the United States of aggression and has continued military operations in the region. The military confrontation has also involved attacks on commercial shipping, with vessels trying to pass through the Strait facing security risks.
Oil prices have begun rising again as the latest US strikes add to uncertainty over supplies passing through the waterway. Any prolonged disruption in the waterway can have an immediate impact on energy markets because of the amount of oil and gas transported through the route.
The proposed “Trump Strait” name comes while the waterway is caught up in the US-Iran conflict. His claim of US control comes at a time when access to the Strait is disputed and commercial ships still face risks.
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