US President Trump has renamed the Hormuz Strait again.
According to American media reports, on September 28th local time, Trump once again posted a map of the Persian Gulf region on social media, marking the Hormuz Strait as "TRUMP STRAIT". This is the second time he has used this name in a map within just a few days. On September 26th, Trump had also posted a map with the same markings.
If we go back in time, this is not the first time that Trump has joked about 'changing the name' of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the presidential speech transcript, on March 27th, during a event in Miami, Trump mentioned that Iran should open the Strait of Hormuz. He suddenly referred to it as the "Strait of Trump," but immediately corrected himself, saying he meant the "Strait of Hormuz." However, Trump then added, "There are no surprises here."
By August, this statement began to be linked to Trump's repeated emphasis on "America controlling the Strait of Hormuz". According to a interview with Trump released by the White House on July 28, Trump clearly stated at that time, "Iran does not control the strait; we control the strait."
According to official materials released by the White House on August 28, Trump repeatedly emphasized that the United States has control over the Strait of Hormuz. Against this backdrop, on September 2, Trump officially posed a question on social media: "Since it is now under U.S. control, should we rename the Strait of Hormuz 'TRUMP STRAIT'?"
According to Yahoo News, on the same day, the White House official account also shared Trump's statement, accompanied by a map that labeled the strait as "Trump Strait," joking that the name sounded "good."
And this “name change” happened precisely during the new round of negotiations between the US and Iran over the Hormuz Strait.
According to American media reports, Iran recently proposed a '7-day plan' to the United States through mediators such as Qatar. If the United States lifts the maritime blockade on Iranian ports, unfreezes Iranian assets, and relaxes oil sanctions, Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 7 days and resume relevant negotiations.
According to Reuters, Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal on September 26, but later said he expected to continue negotiations with Iran this week. Reuters reported on September 28 that the US and Iran are continuing their contacts through mediators, with the focus of the negotiations remaining on Iran's proposed seven-day plan.
While diplomatic channels have not been completely closed, Iran is also sending tough signals.
According to Iranian official media and AFP, Iran's supreme leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated in a statement on September 28 that the Iranian armed forces have made 'enemy forces' fear crossing the Arabian Sea, and he also said that the Arabian Sea will soon be free from these forces.
According to Reuters, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated through his Telegram account on September 28 that the Iranian armed forces have pushed 'enemy forces' from the southern Iranian waters into the Arabian Sea, and said they will soon drive those forces out of the Arabian Sea.
According to NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Ebrahim Raisi said in an interview on September 27 that Iran is prepared for a renewed war, 'even if it means a last-ditch battle.' However, he also stated that Iran is willing to engage in diplomatic efforts, and that the decision is in Trump's hands.
Iran's response was straightforward: on one hand, it proposed to reopen the strait within 7 days, giving room for negotiations; on the other hand, it emphasized that if the United States continued to exert pressure, Iran would be prepared to escalate military confrontation.
In such a backdrop, "Trump Strait" is clearly no longer just a geographical name game.
