Donald Trump wants to rename Strait of Hormuz after himself

President Donald Trump is making headlines again, and this time he has his sights set on one of the most critical maritime chokepoints on the planet. Per CNBC, the President took to Truth Social to suggest that the Strait of Hormuz should be renamed the Trump Strait, arguing the waterway is effectively under U.S. control. The White House backed the idea, posting an altered map labeling the area Trump Strait and adding that the name had “a nice ring to it.”

This isn’t the first time the President has floated the idea. Back in March, during a speech about Iran’s shipping restrictions, he called the waterway the “Strait of Trump.” He quickly corrected himself to Hormuz, insisting the mistake wasn’t accidental. What felt like a joke then reads as far more deliberate now.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow passage between Iran and Oman connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean. Before the war began in late February, roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids passed through it daily. As Tehran has used that geography as leverage since the war started, it has imposed strict vetting requirements, restricted shipping, and attacked vessels it claims are violating its rules.

Trump is now taking his renaming push far beyond North America

U.S. officials have repeatedly claimed that American military operations have effectively taken control of the region. They have been escorting vessels, striking Iranian maritime and mine-laying assets, and keeping a southern shipping route near Oman open. However, military influence over navigation is not the same thing as owning a waterway.

According to reports, only 102 ships crossed the strait during one recent week, compared to the 130 or more that passed through daily before the conflict. Reuters similarly reported that commercial traffic is still sitting well below normal levels.

Iran still clearly has the ability to disrupt shipping, and this week’s fighting proves it. After U.S. forces struck Iranian targets around the strait, Iran retaliated with drones and missiles against American and allied positions. The U.S. strikes on Iranian radar, air defenses, and maritime assets haven’t stopped the attacks on ships.

It’s important to note that a President cannot simply rename an international strait for the rest of the world. He can order federal agencies to adopt a new name, but other nations don’t have to follow. Other countries ignored it entirely when his administration renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America in 2025.

As he did more recently with Lake Ontario to Lake America, where he ordered the switch in August 2026. Other countries again declined to go along, with Canada keeping the original name and Prime Minister Mark Carney rejecting the designation outright.

The Strait of Hormuz sits thousands of miles from American territory, making it even further removed from U.S. jurisdiction than the Gulf or the Great Lakes. However, the International Hydrographic Organization allows countries to use their own preferred names in national products, so the internationally recognized name of Hormuz isn’t going anywhere.

As the White House pushes federal agencies toward the new label, American maps could start showing Trump Strait well before any other country agrees to recognize it, if they ever do.