RismadarVoice Reporters
September 3, 2026
US President Donald Trump has joked about renaming the strategic Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait”, as tensions continue to escalate between the United States and Iran.
Trump suggested on Wednesday while claiming that the United States had taken control of the vital waterway, which is a major route for global oil shipments.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president asked whether the waterway should be renamed “Trump Strait”, adding that it would be “hotter than ever before” under the proposed name.
The White House later reinforced the joke by sharing a map of the Gulf on social media displaying Trump’s proposed name for the waterway.
Trump has repeatedly spoken about the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, including claims that the United States could assume sovereignty over the strategically important passage. He had also shared a map depicting the strait as a potential new US territory.
However, when asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether he genuinely intended to rename the waterway, Trump appeared to dismiss the suggestion.
“It was just thrown out there,” he said with a chuckle.
The president has previously made several controversial proposals to change the names of geographical and institutional landmarks.
In January 2025, shortly after returning to the White House, Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the “Gulf of America” by the US government. Mexico and Canada have not recognised the change.
He has also supported renaming the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington after himself.
Last week, Trump signed an order changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America”, amid tensions with Canada over trade. The proposal had initially been presented in a seemingly joking manner.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury on Wednesday issued $1 coins bearing Trump’s image as part of activities marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Despite Trump’s light-hearted comments about renaming the strait, the conflict with Iran remains a serious international crisis.
Fighting has intensified after a period of relative calm, with US forces carrying out fresh strikes near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday following allegations that Iran had resumed laying naval mines in the area.
Iran accused the United States of killing four people in a wedding during one of the attacks and described the incident as a “war crime”. Tehran subsequently launched retaliatory attacks against US military positions in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq.
The conflict has also contributed to rising fuel prices in the United States and created political pressure on Trump ahead of the November midterm elections.
Iran has effectively restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Trump said on Wednesday that the US was prepared to launch another attack against Iran, although he indicated that any renewed military campaign would not continue for an extended period.
“It was a very heavy attack last night, and we’re prepared to do another one any time we want,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
