US President Donald Trump proposed on Wednesday renaming the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints — after himself, posting on his Truth Social network: "Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT??? Like America itself, it would be 'hotter' than ever before!" The White House amplified the suggestion on X, sharing a map that already labelled the waterway as "Trump Strait."
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply passes through it, making it a vital artery for global energy markets. The strait has become a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which Trump launched alongside Israel in late February. Iran has effectively closed the waterway in retaliation, while the US has blockaded Iranian ports in response. Oil prices are rising again following fresh American strikes near the strait on Tuesday, which the administration said targeted Iranian minelaying operations. Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones at US installations in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq — the largest exchange in the conflict since July.
The proposed renaming is the latest in a pattern of geographical name changes put forward by Trump, who has made territorial and symbolic assertions a recurring feature of his presidency. He renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" on his first day back in office in January 2025, and last week ordered that Lake Ontario — a body of water on the US-Canada border — be called "Lake America" amid an escalating trade dispute with Ottawa. Neither Mexico nor Canada has accepted either change. Trump has also claimed Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark and a NATO ally.
While some of these proposals have initially appeared to be rhetorical flourishes, several have been followed through with executive action and official cartographic changes. Trump, who turned 80 this year, has in recent weeks gone further on the Strait of Hormuz, posting maps depicting it as "new US territory" and repeatedly asserting American sovereignty over the waterway — claims that have no standing under international law and that Iran has forcefully rejected. Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian authorities accused US forces of killing five people, including a child, at a wedding in southern Iran, calling the United States "Satan" — an accusation Washington has not confirmed.
The renaming proposal underscores the extent to which symbolic and territorial posturing has become intertwined with active military operations in a conflict that is reshaping energy markets and straining Washington's relationships with allies across the Middle East and beyond.