Donald Trump Renames Strait of Hormuz ‘Strait of Trump’ Amid US-Iran Naval Blockade

US President Donald Trump reshared an image on Truth Social that renamed the Strait of Hormuz as the “Strait of Trump,” a move that multiple outlets tied to the ongoing US-Iran conflict and a US naval blockade targeting Iranian-linked shipping.

“American President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran must open the Strait of Hormuz to reach a settlement to the war that has entered its second month, referring to it as the 'Trump Strait”

An-Nahar

The Independent said Trump reshared what appeared to be an “AI-generated map” on Truth Social Wednesday night, labeling the shipping route between Iran and Oman as the “Strait of Trump.”

An-Nahar

News Mobile reported that Trump posted the image on Thursday “without any caption,” after it was originally shared by an account identified as “IStandWithTrump47.”

NDTV similarly said Trump reshared an image on Thursday on Truth Social “without any caption,” with the map replacing the original name of the waterway with “Strait of Trump.”

The Morning Voice described Trump’s cartographic move as part of a broader pattern, saying he posted a modified map and renaming the Strait of Hormuz “The Strait of Trump,” while also referencing his earlier branding efforts.

Several reports linked the renaming to Trump’s own remarks in March, including his statement at a Saudi-backed FII Priority investment forum in Miami that “They have to open up the Strait of Trump - I mean Hormuz.”

In the same set of remarks, Trump added, “Excuse me, I’m so sorry. Such a terrible mistake,” and insisted, “there’s no accidents with me, not too many.”

Alongside the renaming, the sources describe a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and a widening economic impact tied to shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Morning Voice said “Seventeen days have passed since Washington imposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports,” and it claimed US naval forces “have intercepted 42 ships since the blockade began,” with cargo “valued at over $6 billion.”

Folha de S.Paulo

It also said only “6 vessels are now passing through the Strait daily,” compared with a “pre-war average of 60,” and linked that collapse to oil-market volatility, stating “Brent crude surged to $126 a barrel” before easing back to “$110.”

The Independent described the passageway as typically seeing “over 20 million barrels of petroleum and crude oil” pass through “each day,” and said that amid Trump’s war with Iran, the passageway “has largely been closed off,” prompting a global oil shortage and a Brent surge “past $125 a barrel on Thursday.”

News Mobile and NDTV both reported that the reshared map coincided with Trump’s comments indicating the blockade “could continue for months,” and both tied the remarks to oil price jumps, including Brent rising to “$126.41 per barrel” and WTI to “$110.31.”

NDTV also quoted Trump saying, “They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them,” while The Morning Voice used a similar phrase, saying Trump described the effect as “ choking them like a stuffed pig .”

The Times of India added that the blockade was “enforced since mid-April,” and said it had contributed to a surge in global oil prices “which recently hit their highest levels in over four years.”

Iranian officials and lawmakers responded to the blockade and to Trump’s “Strait of Trump” framing while also discussing negotiation conditions.

The Morning Voice quoted Mojtaba Khamenei saying, “ America is the architect of instability in this region. Iran will secure the Gulf, with or without Washington's blessing. The Persian Gulf has always been ours, and it will remain so.”

It also said Iran’s government warned the US blockade is “doomed to fail” and announced Iran “will unleash a new weapon positioned directly next to the enemy” without specifying what it is.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, was quoted by The Morning Voice saying, _"Calling the Strait of Hormuz anything else is not just a mistake, it is an insult to geography, to history, and to the people of this region."_

News Mobile and NDTV both said Iran proposed easing restrictions on the waterway in exchange for lifting the blockade and resuming negotiations, and that the United States rejected the proposal.

WION added that Iran sent a new proposal to the US via Pakistan and that Trump was unhappy with it and “is not likely to accept it,” while also describing talks as ‘telephonic’ due to logistical challenges.

WION also quoted Trump saying, “The blockade is genius. The blockade is 100 percent foolproof,” and added that “Now, they have to cry uncle, that’s all they have to do. Just say, ‘We give up,’” while describing Iran’s economy as “dead.”

Beyond the public messaging, The Morning Voice describes US military planning and multiple operational options tied to the blockade and Iran’s nuclear program.

It said “Behind closed doors, the US military is preparing a formal briefing for the President,” described as “a war-planning session” that lays out “three operational options.”

Republic World

The first option, according to The Morning Voice, is “a short, powerful strike campaign targeting Iranian infrastructure, ports, logistics hubs, communication nodes,” aimed “designed not to topple the government but to shatter the blockade's architecture from within.”

The second option is described as “a ground seizure of key sections of the Strait of Hormuz itself , physically wresting control of the chokepoint.”

The third option is “the most sensitive: securing Iran's uranium stockpile,” and it gave a specific figure, saying “Intelligence assessments confirm Iran holds 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% , dangerously close to the 90% weapons-grade threshold.”

The Morning Voice also said Washington wants the material “gone,” while Tehran insists “every gram is for civilian energy purposes only.”

It added that “Hovering over all three options is Trump's Dark Eagle , the US hypersonic glide missile,” and claimed it can strike “at over Mach 5 with near-zero intercept probability.”

The sources also describe how other governments and political figures reacted to the blockade and to Trump’s “Strait of Trump” branding.

“Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday shared an image on Truth Social showing a modified map that renamed the Strait of Hormuz as the “Strait of Trump”

News Mobile

The Morning Voice said “a growing coalition of nations has signed onto what is being called the Maritime Freedom and Navigation Alliance,” joining “US-led escort operations through the Gulf,” and it named “Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Japan” as committing naval assets.

The Daily Beast

The Independent and Daily Beast both highlighted mockery by California Governor Gavin Newsom, quoting him on X: “Crude oil is now at $120/barrel and climbing. Americans are paying higher and higher prices. Why won’t President Trump open the Strait of Trump!?”

IranWire added a domestic US political angle by describing Democratic Representative Sara Jacobs questioning Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about Trump’s mental health during a congressional hearing on the president’s proposed military budget, and it quoted Hegseth responding: “Did you ask Joe Biden this same question for four years? You didn’t, and I won’t even engage with this level of disregard you’re showing for the Commander-in-Chief… You want to ask this question after you and other members of your party defended a Joe Biden who could hardly speak?”

Republic World and WION both framed Trump’s remarks as provocative, with Republic World quoting Trump calling the blockade “genius” and saying “The blockade is genius. The blockade has been 100% foolproof.”

WION also reported that Trump said negotiations are being done remotely and described them as ‘telephonic,’ while NDTV and News Mobile emphasized that the map post came amid warnings the blockade could last for months.