WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” as tensions surrounding the strategically important waterway continue to escalate.
Trump made the suggestion in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, September 2, claiming that the United States had achieved complete control over the key waterway.
“Now that we it under U.S.A control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???” Trump wrote, adding that it would be “hotter” than ever before.
The 80-year-old Republican president ended the post with his signature remarks, thanking people for their attention to the matter.
Trump’s proposal comes just weeks after he supported changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America”, another controversial geographical name change that attracted international attention.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world’s most strategically important energy routes.
Around one-fifth of global oil shipments normally pass through the narrow waterway, making it critical to international energy markets and global trade.
The waterway has become particularly significant amid renewed tensions between the United States and Iran.
Iran has declared the strait closed to commercial shipping with permission, while the US maintains that the waterway remains navigable without threats.
CENTCOM Says 660 Million Barrels of Oil Moved Through Strait of Hormuz Since May
Shipping traffic remains below normal
Despite US claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz, shipping activity through the waterway remains significantly below normal levels.
According to preliminary data from ship-tracking company Kpler, only four commodity vessels passed through the strait on Tuesday, compared with a 10-day average of around 13 vessels.
The reduced traffic has heightened concerns over the impact of the ongoing tensions on global energy supplies and shipping.
It’s got a nice ring to it pic.twitter.com/Fmzc9iUu8u
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 2, 2026
‘Trump Strait’ is not an official name change
Trump’s proposal to rename the Strait of Hormuz is not an official change to the waterway’s name.
The suggestion was made in a social media post and does not itself alter the internationally recognised name of the strategic passage.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major global shipping route, with its security closely watched by governments, energy markets and the international shipping industry as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue.
