Trump Wants To Rename Strait Of Hormuz ‘Trump Strait’: Can He?

US President Donald Trump questioned the existing name of the Strait of Hormuz in a social media post, suggesting that the strategically important waterway could be renamed the “Trump Strait”.

In a statement published on his social media platform, Trump remarked, “Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???”

Why Does Trump Want To Rename The Strait Of Hormuz?

The White House said in a post on X, “It's got a nice ring to it.” Trump had later said, "We hit them very hard last night. We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz... It was a very heavy attack last night, and we're prepared to do another one any time we want."

"When I ask that question, I ask it sort of knowing the answer — the only answer is they're being shot. The regime is getting weaker and weaker by the day, and at some point, they're not going to be able to shoot so easily," he added.

Trump made this statement as the US military continues to strictly enforce the U. blockade against Iran. As of September 2, US forces have redirected 86 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two to ensure compliance.

The CENTCOM forces successfully completed a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on September 1. The US forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites.

Trump’s latest suggestion comes after he issued an executive order instructing US federal agencies to use “Lake America” instead of Lake Ontario. The president later said that Google Maps and Apple Maps had also adopted the new name. Google has confirmed that “Lake America” is displayed to users in the US, whereas people accessing Google Maps in Canada still see “Lake Ontario”. Trump’s earlier comments about changing geographical names have at times been made in a light-hearted manner before he moved to implement the proposed changes.

Can Trump Rename The Strait Of Hormuz?

Trump's proposal to call the waterway the “Trump Strait” does not constitute an internationally recognised renaming of the Strait of Hormuz. In the US, geographic names used by federal authorities are standardised by the US Board on Geographic Names, which also deals with names of locations outside American territory. Therefore, if the US government adopts a different name, the change would mainly apply to federal agencies and official US government materials.

However, this would not oblige Iran, Oman, other countries, international bodies or private map providers to replace the name “Strait of Hormuz” with “Trump Strait”. Located between Iran and Oman, the waterway operates within an international maritime framework, including arrangements governing shipping.

The situation is therefore different from changing the name of a geographical feature located within US territory, where the American government has direct authority over the name used by its federal institutions.