US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified around the strategically vital waterway, before later indicating that the proposal was not serious.

Trump made the remark on his Truth Social platform while asserting that the United States had control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes for energy supplies.

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“Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to Trump Strait??? Like America itself, it would be ‘hotter’ than ever before!” Trump wrote.

The White House subsequently amplified the suggestion by posting a map of the Gulf on social media bearing the proposed name and adding: “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

Trump later appeared to retreat from the idea. Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether he was genuinely considering the name change, the 80-year-old president chuckled and replied: “It was just thrown out there.”

The exchange nonetheless fits a broader pattern in Trump’s second term, during which the president has repeatedly floated or pursued controversial geographical name changes involving locations beyond the United States.

Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” shortly after returning to the White House in January 2025, although Mexico and Canada have not adopted the new designation.

He has also pursued other high-profile naming changes, including the renaming of Washington’s Kennedy Center after himself, while several of his earlier suggestions have moved from apparent jokes into formal policy.

The Strait of Hormuz proposal carries particular weight because of the waterway’s strategic importance.

Around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes through the narrow maritime chokepoint, making disruption there a major concern for global energy markets.

The latest remarks came against the backdrop of renewed fighting between the United States and Iran following a period of relative calm.

US forces launched fresh strikes near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday after Trump accused Iran of attempting to lay new mines in the waterway.

Iran subsequently accused the United States of striking a wedding and killing four people, describing the incident as a war crime.

Iran also launched retaliatory attacks against US military positions in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, according to the report.

The conflict has meanwhile intensified pressure on energy markets, with US fuel prices rising sharply as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz threatens the movement of crude oil.

Trump has maintained a defiant position on the conflict, saying the United States remains prepared to conduct further military operations against Iran.

“It was a very heavy attack last night, and we’re prepared to do another one any time we want,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He nevertheless suggested that any renewed US campaign would not continue for “too long”.

Trump’s “Trump Strait” remark may have been delivered with a chuckle, but its timing underscores the extraordinary circumstances surrounding one of the world’s most important waterways.

With military forces operating around the Strait and energy markets watching closely, even a seemingly playful presidential comment can attract considerable international attention.

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For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains the Strait of Hormuz. Whether Trump’s latest suggestion was simply another provocative joke or something more remains, like much of the conflict itself, uncertain.