US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait”, as the strategic waterway remains at the centre of escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran.
“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday. He added that the name would be “hotter” than ever.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States has control of the waterway, a claim disputed by Iran. The strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for global oil and gas shipments. More than 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through the waterway before the current conflict, according to Forbes.
The proposal came after the United States carried out fresh strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The strikes also lead to the killing of at least five civilians including a child, the deceased were attending a wedding function.
Trump said the strikes were in retaliation for what he described as an Iranian attempt to lay mines in the waterway and missile attacks on a US military base in Jordan.
Iran has continued to restrict shipping through the strait during the conflict. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers had struck naval mines while navigating the waterway, according to reports.
The US and Iran also exchanged attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Iran targeting US-linked military positions in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq, while Washington carried out further strikes inside Iran.
Trump's latest proposal is not an internationally recognised renaming of the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman, and its existing name remains in international use.
The suggestion is the latest in a series of geographical renaming proposals by Trump. He previously pushed for the Gulf of Mexico to be called the “Gulf of America” in the United States and last week ordered the federal government to use “Lake America” for Lake Ontario.
The White House also shared a map showing the waterway labelled “Trump Strait” after the president's post.
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