Trump Strait

President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait," asserting US control of the vital waterway even as fighting raged there with Iran. "Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???" Trump said on his Truth Social network. "Like America itself, it would be 'hotter' than ever before!"

The White House later posted a map of the Gulf on social media with the waterway marked "Trump Strait." "It's got a nice ring to it," the White House post added. The call to unilaterally rename an international body of water after himself comes despite the fact that the six-month-old war with Iran shows no sign of ending.

Renaming spree

Since returning to office, Trump has made a string of renaming suggestions. Last week he signed an order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America" amid a trade war with Canada. He also renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" on his first day back in the White House. Neither Mexico nor Canada have accepted the changes.

The strait suggestion may also be aimed as a fresh distraction from the Iran war, which has caused oil prices to spike for US consumers ahead of crucial midterm elections in November. Iran has effectively shut down the chokepoint, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes, in retaliation for the war Trump started along with Israel in late February.