Donald Trump wants to rename the contested Strait of Hormuz to Trump Strait

On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested renaming the vital Strait of Hormuz to the "Trump Strait". Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that the United States now controls the strategic passage, and the White House quickly backed the idea by posting a map online marking the waterway with his name.

The proposal comes even though the waterway remains actively contested amid the ongoing war with Iran. Located between Iran and Oman, the narrow passage is the most crucial oil transit choke point in the world, normally carrying about 20% of global oil supplies. Despite claims of American control, recent military strikes and shipping hazards have left the area unstable, with commercial tankers continuing to face serious threats.

This is not the first time Trump has moved to put new names on the world map. He previously pushed to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" and signed an order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America". However, because the Strait of Hormuz is an international maritime corridor rather than American territory, international organizations and other governments do not officially recognize such unilateral name changes.