Trump suggests renaming Strait of Hormuz as Trump Strait amid Iran war

United States President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz after himself, reasserting that the waterway is under Washington's control despite near-daily Iranian attacks on ships in the area.

Key points

• The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a monitoring agency affiliated with the British Royal Navy, has been reporting attacks on vessels in Hormuz almost every day.
• But within hours, Iran's military fired missiles and drones at US bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq.
• Last month, Trump remarked he views the Strait of Hormuz as "American territory".
• "Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT?" Trump wrote in a social media post.
• On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of carrying out a strike on an oil tanker that killed two individuals.

Trump's suggestion on Wednesday came less than 24 hours after the US struck a number of targets in Iran, killing at least four residents, including two children, at a wedding in the southern city of Sirik.

"Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT?" Trump wrote in a social media post. "Like America itself, it would be 'hotter' than ever before!"

Iran responded to Tuesday's attack with missile launches against US bases in the region. The fighting pushed oil rates upwards by around 4 percent.

Despite repeated claims by US authorities that the Strait of Hormuz is now open and millions of barrels of oil are transiting through it daily, oil costs have not fallen in recent weeks.

Iran continues to maintain that the waterway is closed and under its control.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a monitoring agency affiliated with the British Royal Navy, has been reporting attacks on vessels in Hormuz almost every day.

In the US, the cost of petrol is rising. It reached $4.12 per gallon (3.8 litres) on Wednesday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), up from less than $3 before the war began on February 28.

When Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the conflict by attacking Iran and killing its supreme leader earlier this year, the US president promised that the war would last for six weeks.

But the promised quick end to what Trump initially dubbed a "little excursion" never materialised. The conflict entered its seventh month last week.

Still, Trump has continued to claim victory and control over Hormuz, repeatedly claiming that Iran has been defeated militarily despite its ability to strike back against US interests in the region.

After the US strikes on Tuesday, Trump sternly cautioned Tehran against retaliating, saying that Iran would be "hit again at a much harder and higher level" if it responds.

In practice, the "Trump Strait" suggestion on Wednesday is the latest push by the US president to assert control over a conflict that critics say was a strategic misstep that is turning into a quagmire.

Last month, Trump remarked he views the Strait of Hormuz as "American territory". Last week, he unilaterally renamed Lake Ontario. It borders both the US and Canada, as "Lake America" due to the ongoing US trade disagreements with Canada.

Taken together, the developments around trump suggests renaming Strait of Hormuz as Trump Strait amid Iran war point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.