US president Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait”, as tensions with Iran continue to disrupt traffic through the key oil shipping route.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???”.
He added that, like America itself, it would be “‘hotter’ than ever before”. Trump later appeared to downplay the proposal when asked at the White House whether he intended to rename the waterway, saying it was “just thrown out there”.
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The proposal follows Trump’s recent decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America”, while he has also previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America”.
The US leader’s suggestion comes amid renewed fighting between the US and Iran, with military strikes resuming after a period of reduced hostilities. The Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil trade passed before the conflict, has seen shipping traffic fall sharply.
Kpler data cited by TIME showed just six vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, compared with 19 on the previous Friday and around 138 vessels typically passing through during a 24-hour period before the war.
Last week, Trump had declared the shipping route “functional” and open, despite “the odd rocket or drone”, in a statement that was later refuted by US allies, who warned that the strait is still mined.
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