On March 28 (local time), the New York Post, citing a senior U.S. official, reported that Trump has discussed seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz—which Iran has effectively restricted—and renaming it either "America's Strait" or the "Trump Strait."
The report says Trump favors placing the strait under U.S. management to prevent Iran from controlling civilian ship traffic there.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments and is widely viewed as a natural fortress that would be difficult to secure without deploying U.S. ground forces. One official said, "If the U.S. guarantees a free and safe environment, why should we keep calling it Hormuz?" The name Hormuz traces back to medieval Persian.
Trump has publicly hinted at a name change. At a sovereign wealth fund event in Miami on the 27th, he said, "Iranian leaders should open the Trump Strait." He then joked, "I'm really sorry. That was a terrible mistake," but added, "The press will call it a slip of the tongue. It wasn't a mistake." Observers took the comments as an indication the renaming idea is under active consideration.
Last year, Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "American Gulf." He also renamed Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts the "Trump–Kennedy Center."
