Trump taunts Tehran, wants Strait of Hormuz renamed after himself

US President Donald Trump taunted Iranian leaders at the Republican midterm convention, proposing to rename the Strait of Hormuz the "Trump Strait." Trump claimed Iran will quit the war after the US election and that the US controls the strait, despite ongoing disruptions to shipping.

US President Donald Trump taunted Iranian leaders during a 100-minute address at the first-ever Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Trump proposed renaming the Strait of Hormuz the "Trump Strait," repeating an idea he had floated about a week earlier. "I should get something out of this - the Trump Strait," the president said. He expressed confidence that Iran will quit or drop out of the war "right after Election Day, because they want a deal desperately." Trump claimed the US controls the Hormuz Strait and that the US is "winning it." However, the article notes that six months into the conflict, shipping through the strait remains severely disrupted amid competing US and Iranian efforts to control the vital waterway. On Wednesday, Iran attacked 10 ships near the strait after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the largest exchange of attacks on shipping since the war began. Trump described Iran as "falling apart" and "the bully of the Middle East," adding, "We're the hottest country anywhere in the world." The article reports Trump's statements without independent analysis or sourcing beyond the president's own remarks.