In a striking declaration at Miami’s FII Priority investment conference, former U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that Iran must guarantee access to the Strait of Hormuz—which he momentarily rebranded as the “Strait of Trump”—as a prerequisite for any peace agreement. The Friday remarks, made during a Saudi-backed forum, included both an immediate retraction and a characteristically unapologetic follow-up, with Trump stating, “there’s no accidents with me.”
The 79-year-old leader maintained that negotiations were actively underway to resolve the ongoing month-long conflict, despite Tehran’s consistent denials. He claimed Iran was “on the run” and that its military capabilities and nuclear program had sustained substantial damage. These comments align with his administration’s pattern of applying economic pressure, including previous suggestions about seizing Iran’s oil reserves similar to U.S. actions in Venezuela.
Trump’s propensity for attaching his name to landmarks resurfaced throughout his address. He referenced prior rebrandings of Washington institutions—including the Kennedy Center and a peace institute—and even mentioned briefly renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil transit, has been largely closed since hostilities began, contributing to rising worldwide energy prices.
Earlier on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concerns that Iran might attempt to institute a permanent toll system for vessels passing through the strait, which typically handles one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments. The combination of military rhetoric and economic posturing continues to define the tense U.S.-Iran relationship, with Trump’s latest comments adding another layer of diplomatic complexity.