President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait,” continuing a pattern of geographic rebranding that has accelerated during his second term amid an ongoing conflict with Iran.
Trump made the suggestion on Truth Social, claiming the United States now controlled the vital waterway. “Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT?” he posted, according to reporting from multiple outlets covering the announcement.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the waterway daily, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and Britannica. The strait connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, serving as the primary export route for oil produced in the Persian Gulf region.
Trump’s renaming suggestion follows months of escalating rhetoric about controlling the waterway. In August, he claimed he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, and he posted a map on Truth Social labeling it as such. Iran has repeatedly rejected these assertions, with Iranian officials calling Trump’s claims “delusions” and stating the strait “will remain Iranian,” according to NBC News and The Hill.
The latest proposal is part of a broader effort by Trump to rename U.S. and international geographic features. On August 27, Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” amid escalating trade tensions with Canada. The order directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information System within 30 days, and Google Maps quickly began displaying the new name for U.S. users, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera.
Trump’s geographic renaming efforts extend further back. In January 2025, he signed an executive order renaming Mount Denali in Alaska back to Mount McKinley and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” These moves have drawn criticism from geography experts and neighboring countries alike.
Derek Alderman, chancellor’s professor of geography at the University of Tennessee, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s approach to renaming geographic features represents an attempt to reshape how history and identity are represented on maps. “Trump’s executive order similarly is an attempt at erasing Indigenous culture from the map, exerting not just an ‘America-first’ ideology across the continent but a decidedly neocolonial geographic imagination,” Alderman said of the Lake Ontario renaming.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint in the ongoing Iran war, which began in March 2026. Iran has used its proximity to the waterway as leverage, repeatedly threatening to block the passage of oil tankers. The U.S. military has conducted operations to clear mines from the strait and maintain freedom of navigation, according to reporting from August 30.
Whether Trump’s suggestion to rename the Strait of Hormuz will result in an executive order remains unclear. Unlike Lake Ontario, which is shared between the U.S. and Canada but can be renamed through U.S. federal action, the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway with no single governing body that can enforce a name change globally. Canada and other nations have already rejected the “Lake America” designation, continuing to use the original name in official communications and maps.
Sources
- The Hindu — Trump’s September 2, 2026 suggestion to rename the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait”
- CNBC — Trump’s March 27, 2026 remarks at the Future Investment Initiative calling the strait the “Strait of Trump” and reporting on his consideration of renaming it
- BBC — Trump’s August 27, 2026 executive order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” and the 30-day timeline for the Department of the Interior
- Al Jazeera — Lake Ontario renaming context, Trump’s pattern of geographic renamings, expert commentary from Derek Alderman on the implications of erasing Indigenous culture
- NBC News — Iran’s rejection of Trump’s claims over the Strait of Hormuz, calling them “delusions”
- The Hill — Trump’s August 2026 claims about declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory and Iran’s response
- Britannica — Strait of Hormuz carrying roughly 20.3 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for 25 percent of world petroleum
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — The Strait of Hormuz as the world’s most important oil transit route and its critical role in global energy supply
