“Trump Strait” is the name Trump wants given to the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has proposed renaming the Strait of Hormuz in his honour, asserting that the strategic waterway is currently under US control, notwithstanding the ongoing attacks on vessels in the area. In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump stated, “Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???” Trump made the suggestion shortly after US forces targeted multiple sites in Iran. At least four individuals, including two minors, lost their lives in an assault on a wedding ceremony in the southern Iranian city of Sirik. US Central Command (Centcom) reported that the strikes were aimed at air defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications facilities associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The recent strikes occurred after a hiatus of approximately one month in active hostilities between the US and Iran. On Sunday, the US military reported that it had conducted strikes on two Iranian launchers located on Larak Island, which were in the process of preparing to launch rockets equipped with naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran reacted to the US strikes on Tuesday by firing missiles at American bases located in the region. The renewed fighting resulted in an increase in oil prices by approximately 4 percent. Trump’s suggestion represents the most recent addition to a continuum of geographical renaming proposals put forth by the US president. A week earlier, he mandated that Lake Ontario be renamed “Lake America” in the context of a continuing trade dispute with Canada. Earlier in his second term, Trump also announced that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the “Gulf of America”. Mexico, along with several other nations, has declined to accept the proposed change. Both Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico have retained their current names for centuries, with the United States sharing borders with both bodies of water. Trump and his administration have consistently asserted that Iran no longer exerts control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway facilitated approximately one-fifth of the global oil trade prior to the onset of hostilities on February 28. However, shipping through the strait continues to be significantly lower than pre-war levels and has experienced a further decline in recent days as military strikes have recommenced following a weeks-long hiatus. The Trump administration has indicated that overall oil exports from the region have surpassed pre-war levels when accounting for shipments via pipelines managed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which circumvent the Strait of Hormuz. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright informed on Wednesday that over 17 million barrels of oil traversed the strait on Monday, describing it as a wartime record. Prior to the onset of the conflict on February 28, approximately 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products traversed the waterway. Iran maintains its stance against Washington’s assertions that the strait is accessible and under American oversight.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry reported that civilian areas and infrastructure have been impacted across multiple provinces. It was also noted that a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, located in Sirik County, was among the targeted locations. Centcom spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told TIME, “We are aware of reports, which originated from Iranian state media. The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC.” The IRGC subsequently announced that it had executed retaliatory strikes against US installations in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, in addition to another American facility located in Iraq. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of launching an attack on an oil tanker, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a monitoring agency associated with the British Royal Navy, has documented attacks on vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz nearly on a daily basis.
