President Donald Trump on Wednesday floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz after himself, raising questions about how such a change could be made to an international waterway.
Trump Raises Proposed Name
“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social.
He added that, like America itself, the waterway would be “‘hotter’ than ever before.”
Trump later appeared to downplay the proposal when asked about it at the White House.
“No, no … it was just thrown out there,” Trump said, according to CNBC.
Strait Remains International Waterway
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and is a critical international shipping route. Before the war with Iran began, roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products moved through the strait each day, accounting for about one-fifth of global oil trade.
The conflict has significantly reduced traffic through the waterway, while military strikes in the region have resumed following a weeks-long pause.
Trump and members of his administration have repeatedly claimed that the United States now has near-total control of the strait.
Trump also said last month that he would eventually declare the waterway a U.S. territory, although he has not explained how such a move would be carried out.
Administration Cites Oil Exports
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that more than 17 million barrels of oil passed through the strait Monday, which he described as a wartime record.
The Trump administration has also argued that total oil exports from the region now exceed prewar levels when shipments through pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that bypass the strait are included.
Despite that claim, ship-tracking data indicates traffic through the waterway remains below prewar levels and has declined further in recent days.
Trump Has Renamed Other Landmarks
The proposal follows several other efforts during Trump’s second term to change the names of prominent geographic and public landmarks.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” Canada rejected the change, while some major technology companies have updated their digital maps to reflect the new U.S. name.
Trump also previously ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government.
It remains unclear whether the president intends to pursue an official name change for the Strait of Hormuz.
Provided by Dallas Express
