US President proposes renaming the Strait of Hormuz to the "Strait of Trump" - Sarmad

US President Donald Trump proposed renaming the Strait of Hormuz to the “Trump Strait” in a sarcastic remark posted on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.

The US president claimed that the United States has come to control the strategic waterway.

Trump wrote, “Now that it is under the control of the United States of America, should we change the name of the Strait of Hormuz to the Trump Strait?” adding that the strait, “like America itself, will be hotter than ever before.”

Trump’s statement comes amid renewed military escalation between Washington and Tehran, after the US president declared that the United States has “near-total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, a claim Iran has denied. In recent days, Washington carried out strikes on Iranian targets near the strait, while Tehran responded by targeting US and allied sites in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, linking the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean. Under normal conditions, approximately 20% of global oil shipments pass through it. However, maritime traffic has declined sharply since the outbreak of the war, amid rising military risks and threats to target vessels.

Maritime data cited by Reuters showed that only four commercial vessels carrying general cargo transited the strait on Tuesday, compared to 10 the previous day and an average of about 13 over the past ten days. The data noted that some vessels may have disabled their tracking devices during transit.

In August, Trump threatened to take an even more controversial step, declaring that he might decide to designate the Strait of Hormuz as “US territory.” The remarks drew Iranian rejection, while reports indicated it was unclear whether the announcement represented a formal shift in US policy or merely a political threat.

For months, the United States has sought to impose a new military and security reality in the strait, including securing vessel movements and countering Iranian attempts to disrupt navigation. In May, Washington launched an operation dubbed “Project Freedom” by the Trump administration to escort stranded ships and ensure their safe passage, a move that heightened the risk of direct confrontation with Iran.

In response, Tehran continues to reject any claim of US control over the strait. The waterway has become one of the primary arenas of conflict between the two countries, with direct implications for trade flows, oil prices, and maritime security in the Gulf.

Trump’s comment regarding the “Trump Strait” comes as the US-Iranian confrontation escalates again, amid exchanges of strikes and warnings of a widening war, while maritime traffic in Hormuz remains at significantly low levels compared to pre-conflict periods.