US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of renaming the strategically important Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait”, making the suggestion in a social media post as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate.
Trump raised the idea on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, in a post on Truth Social, asking whether the waterway should be given his name because, in his words, it was now under United States control. He added that the proposed name would be “hotter” than ever, referring to the ongoing conflict in the region.
“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???” Trump wrote.
The White House subsequently joined in, publishing a map of the Gulf on social media with the waterway labelled “Trump Strait” and adding, “It’s got a nice ring to it.” The White House post gave the proposal additional visibility but did not amount to a formal change in the internationally recognised name of the waterway.
Trump's suggestion came amid renewed fighting involving the United States and Iran and continuing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important maritime passages. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for international energy shipments.
The strait has become a central point of tension during the conflict. Shipping through the passage has been severely disrupted, while Iran has continued to assert control over the waterway. The United States, meanwhile, has maintained that the strait is open and has claimed control over the area.
The strategic importance of the waterway extends far beyond the countries immediately surrounding it. Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of the world's petroleum liquids passed through the Strait of Hormuz, making disruption there capable of affecting global energy markets and transportation costs.
The proposal was also notable because Trump appeared to soften the suggestion only hours after making it. According to AFP, when asked in the Oval Office whether he was serious about renaming the strait, Trump indicated with a chuckle that the idea had simply been “thrown out there”.
That response suggests the remark may have been intended partly as humour or political messaging rather than an immediate formal policy proposal. Nevertheless, the White House's decision to publish a map using “Trump Strait” ensured that the joke received further attention.
The episode is consistent with Trump's broader interest in changing geographical names during his second term. In January 2025, he ordered the US government to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” for federal purposes. More recently, he signed an order changing the US government's designation of Lake Ontario to “Lake America”.
Those changes have also highlighted an important distinction between a name used by the US government and an internationally accepted geographical name. A US president can direct federal agencies on terminology, but such an action does not automatically compel other countries or international organisations to adopt the same designation.
The same issue would apply to any attempt to rename the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is not a US territory, and an American decision to use an alternative name would not by itself establish “Trump Strait” as its internationally recognised name. Any broader change would involve international acceptance and established geographical naming practices.
Trump's latest comment therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment. The waterway is not simply a geographical landmark but a critical artery for global energy supplies, and military activity around it has already affected shipping and energy prices.
The timing has also drawn political criticism in the United States. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticised Trump's focus on renaming geographical features, arguing that attention should instead be directed toward the consequences of the conflict and rising costs facing Americans.
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains its internationally recognised name, while “Trump Strait” remains a suggestion made by the US president and amplified by the White House. Trump's later comments indicating that the idea had merely been floated further suggest that no formal international renaming has taken place.
The episode nevertheless illustrates how geographical naming can become part of political messaging, particularly when it intersects with questions of national power, territorial control and international conflict. In this case, Trump's proposal has added another unusual dimension to an already highly consequential confrontation surrounding one of the world's most important shipping routes.
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