Trump suggests renaming Strait of Hormuz ‘Trump Strait’ as clashes with Iran continue

US President Donald Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” on social media as fresh clashes with Iran continued then later downplayed the idea, AFP reported.

What he said

Posting on his Truth Social network, Trump wrote:

“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 later shared a map of the Gulf on social media that used his suggested name and commented, “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

Reaction and context

Asked in the Oval Office by an AFP reporter whether he was serious about the renaming, Trump said with a chuckle that “It was just thrown out there.”

The suggestion comes amid renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, where AFP reported that US forces launched fresh strikes near the waterway in response to what Trump called new minelaying efforts by Iran.

Broader pattern

The AFP report noted that Trump has in his second term made a series of geographic name changes to bodies of water and other places, and recently posted a map showing the Strait of Hormuz as a “new US territory.” The report also said he previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” on his first day back in the White House in January 2025 and that last week he signed an order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The IOL article added that neither Mexico nor Canada have accepted those changes.

Security and political implications

AFP reported that the Iran war has continued more than six months after the initial US-Israeli assault, and that fighting flared again after weeks of calm. Iran said one US strike killed four people at a wedding and called it a “war crime,” and launched retaliatory strikes at US bases in Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, the report said.

The report added that Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a significant share of the world’s oil, in retaliation for the conflict that began in late February.

Trump on further action

In the Oval Office, Trump told reporters the United States was prepared to launch further attacks on Iran and said the renewed campaign would not last “too long.” He described a recent strike as “a very heavy attack” and said the US was “prepared to do another one any time we want,” AFP reported.