US secretary of state: Iran has lost control of Strait of Hormuz

During a recent broadcast, US President Donald Trump proposed renaming the Strait of Hormuz to "Trump Strait." He claimed the waterway was under US control, suggesting the name change would make it "hotter" than ever before. The President noted he has the authority to instruct federal government usage of place names. However, other nations are not obligated to follow his suggestions, though technology firms like Google and Apple swiftly adapted their maps for US users upon his previous changes.

This week, Trump asserted that the US had taken over the Strait of Hormuz, while the Treasury Secretary earlier commented that the waterway could soon lose importance as Gulf states seek alternative routes for energy shipments. The administration has faced challenges in resolving the Iran conflict and fully opening the strait, which has endured significantly reduced shipping levels compared to prewar times.

The strait, which once facilitated one-fifth of global petroleum liquids trade, has become a focal point of the ongoing stand-off with Iran, contributing to soaring energy prices and lower presidential approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections.

The idea of renaming geographical locations has sparked both ridicule and a broader discussion about the extent of a US President's authority to unilaterally alter such names. While federal agencies could potentially accommodate a name change, the process involves a rigorous submission and voting procedure through entities like the US Geological Survey's domestic names committee and the Foreign Names Committee of the US Board on Geographic Names.

As of now, the USGS confirmed Trump's alteration of Lake Ontario's name to Lake America, but there was no immediate response to inquiries regarding the potential renaming of the Strait of Hormuz.