Trump's Imperial Fantasies: Renaming the Strait of Hormuz While Iran Bleeds
In yet another display of colonial arrogance dressed up as presidential swagger, Donald Trump has floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz the 'Trump Strait,' even as his war with Iran claims more lives. For those of us in the Global South who have watched empires redraw maps and rename territories for centuries, this is not a joke. It is a stark reminder that the old imperial playbook remains intact.
The 80-year-old Republican leader made the suggestion on his Truth Social network on Wednesday, insisting the US had 'full control' of the crucial waterway despite fresh clashes with Iran. '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!' he wrote.
The White House later amplified the stunt by posting a map of the Gulf with the suggested name, adding: 'It's got a nice ring to it.'
Why does Trump keep renaming international waters?
This is not an isolated incident. Trump has made a series of geographical name changes to international bodies of water in his second term, at least partly to troll other countries. Last week, he signed an order renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' amid a trade war with Canada. In January 2025, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.' Neither Mexico nor Canada has accepted these changes.
The pattern is clear: rename, claim sovereignty, erase history. It is the same logic that drove European colonisers to rename African cities, rivers, and mountains, stripping indigenous peoples of their heritage. South Africans know this story all too well. We lived through the Apartheid regime's attempts to rewrite geography and memory. Trump's antics are cut from the same cloth.
What is really happening in the Strait of Hormuz?
Behind the bravado lies a deadly reality. The Iran war grinds on with no end in sight, more than six months after the initial US-Israeli assault. Fighting has flared again after weeks of calm, with US forces launching fresh strikes near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday in response to what Trump said were new minelaying efforts by Iran.
Iran reported that one US strike killed four people at a wedding, branding it a 'war crime.' In retaliation, Iran launched a wave of strikes at US bases in Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq. The choke point, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes, has been effectively shut down by Iran in retaliation for the war Trump started along with Israel in late February.
What are the consequences of this war?
At home, Trump has presided over a steep rise in US fuel costs as a result of the conflict. His Republican Party looks likely to lose at least partial control of Congress in the November midterm elections. But the human cost is far higher, and it is not being paid by Americans. It is being paid by Iranian civilians, by wedding guests, by ordinary people caught in the crossfire of imperial ambition.
Trump said on Wednesday that the United States was ready to attack Iran again, while adding that the renewed campaign would not last 'too long.' 'It was a very heavy attack last night, and we're prepared to do another one any time we want,' he told reporters in the Oval Office.
What does this mean for the Global South?
For Africa, and for the Global South more broadly, this is a warning. The West's willingness to rename, redraw, and bomb its way through the world has not diminished. It has simply found a new, more brazen champion. Trump's geographical vanity projects are not harmless jokes. They are assertions of power, designed to remind the world who is in charge.
But history teaches us that empires fall. The maps they draw and the names they impose do not last. The people of the region, like the people of this continent, have long memories. They remember what was taken, and they know that true sovereignty cannot be renamed away.
As Trump chuckles about 'throwing out' names, the bombs continue to fall. The Strait of Hormuz will not be renamed. But the blood of those killed in this war will be remembered, long after Trump's name fades into the obscurity it deserves.
Frequently asked questions about the Strait of Hormuz renaming
Is Trump serious about renaming the Strait of Hormuz?
Trump initially suggested the name change on Truth Social, then later played it down, saying 'It was just thrown out there.' However, several of his previous suggestions, such as renaming Lake Ontario, were dismissed as jokes before he signed orders making them official.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz strategically important?
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes. Iran has effectively shut it down in retaliation for the US-Israeli war that began in late February, causing steep rises in global fuel costs.
How has the international community responded to Trump's renaming efforts?
Neither Mexico nor Canada has accepted Trump's previous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico or Lake Ontario. The latest suggestion regarding the Strait of Hormuz has been met with widespread criticism, particularly from nations in the Global South who view it as an imperialist gesture.