Donald Trump on Wednesday floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz after himself in a post on his Truth Social network. The post came despite the waterway not having a single owner, The Hill reported. Who actually controls the chokepoint remains in dispute while the US war with Iran is still under way.
What did the post say? "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!" Trump said. The remark follows weeks in which he has repeatedly pressed a threat to claim sovereignty over the strait, at one point posting a map that showed the waterway as a "new U.S. territory."
Has he renamed places before? It is the latest geographical name change floated by Trump, and it comes a week after he ordered Lake Ontario to be renamed "Lake America" amid a trade war with Canada. On his first day back in office in January 2025, he also renamed the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." Neither Mexico nor Canada has accepted the changes, the Korea Times reported. Many of the earlier renamings started out as apparently jovial remarks from the 80-year-old president, who then followed through and made them a reality.
What is happening in the strait? Iran has effectively shut down the chokepoint, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes, in retaliation for the war Trump started along with Israel in late February, the Korea Times reported. US forces launched fresh strikes near the strait on Tuesday, which Trump said were a response to new minelaying efforts by Iran. Oil prices are rising again in the wake of those strikes, the Korea Times reported.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
