Legally Blonde was first released 25 years ago starring Reece Witherspoon as sorority girl Elle Wood who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend by getting a degree at Havard Law School

A popular movie celebrating its 25th anniversary this year is airing on BBC One tonight.

Based on Amanda Brown’s novel, Legally Blonde was released back in 2001 and reportedly grossed $142 million worldwide on an $18 million budget.

The story follows Elle Woods, played Reece Witherspoon, a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis) by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School and in the process, overcomes stereotypes against blondes and triumphs as a successful lawyer.

It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy. Reece also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the 2002 MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance.

Discussing the film online, one fan penned: “All Time Classic. If I was asked to show someone only one film of Reese Witherspoon, this is the one. She is the best thing in this.” Another added: “Absolute must see! its a classic for all the right reasons. If you want to see an amazing movie, this is the one for you!”

A third person said: “It’s a great feel-good movie. I enjoy the message about trusting yourself. No violence, sex or bad language so, great for the whole family.” Someone else said: “I think Legally Blonde is funny, smart, and genuinely entertaining. Elle Woods prove that being underestimated can become your biggest motivation. Reese Witherspoon was perfect in the role and the movie still feels fresh and inspiring today. A great feel-good comedy with heart.”

San Francisco Chronicle report author Amanda based Legally Blonde upon her real-life experiences as a blonde attending Stanford Law School, while being obsessed with fashion and beauty, reading Elle magazine and frequently clashing with the personalities of her peers.

Brown said at the time that when she first arrived at Stanford she made a big mistake, explaining “I was in my first week of law school in 1993 and I saw this flyer for The Women of Stanford Law so I was like, ”I’ll go and meet some nice girls. Whatever.’ I went to the meeting and these were not women, these were really angry people.

“The woman who was leading it spent three years at Stanford trying to change the name ‘semester’ to ‘ovester.’ I started laughing and I realised everyone in the room took it very seriously. So I didn’t make any friends there.”

A sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, was released in 2003, while another sequel was announced to be in development in 2018 and reiterated yet again in this summer of 2026 by leading actress Reese.

Legally Blonde also spawned a media franchise with various adaptations, including a stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2007, a direct-to-video spin-off, Legally Blondes, released in 2009, and a prequel television series about Woods’s high school years, Elle, which premiered in 2026 on Amazon Prime Video.

As well as being hailed a “classic” movie, Legally Blonde also spawned a media franchise with various adaptations, including a stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2007, a direct-to-video spin-off, Legally Blondes, released in 2009, and a prequel television series about Woods’s high school years, Elle, which premiered in 2026 on Amazon Prime Video.

In June this year, Variety reported that Reese is in talks to return for Legally Blonde 3 with screenwriters Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Karen McCullah – who wrote the first one – said to be ready to begin work once a deal is closed.

There’s no word yet on plot or if the likes of Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge, or Selma Blair are returning but one thing’s for certain there’ll be lots of pink.

Legally Blonde airs Saturday, September 23 at 10.45pm on BBC One

The Republic of Ireland have confirmed Sunday’s Uefa Nations League B3 game against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary will go ahead.

There appeared to be real doubt on Saturday morning whether the fixture would take place.

A pre-match news conference with manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and a player, scheduled for 09:15 BST, was postponed just 15 minutes before it was due to start, with reporters informed it would instead take place after the team’s training session.

That training session, scheduled for 10:00 BST, also came and went with the team still in their hotel where reporters relocated in anticipation of a statement.

The players were locked in a meeting, with unconfirmed reports that several players, including goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, expressed their wish to withdraw from the game leading to questions whether the game would go ahead.

Around 13:00 BST, players began to filter out of the meeting room with it then confirmed the news conference would indeed go ahead, back at Nagyerdei Stadion at 14:30 with training to follow.

Over five hours after the initial news conference was due to begin, Football Association of Ireland [FAI] CEO David Courell – flanked by Hallgrimsson and FAI Director of Football – confirmed a players’ vote passed by a significant majority to play the game.

More to follow.

In any case, the gap between Antonelli and Russell is so large that even him crashing out on the first lap, as then-championship leader Oscar Piastri did here last year, and Russell winning would not dramatically improve the Briton’s chances of winning the title. Still, every little helps.

It is, again, four different makes of car in the top four with Oscar Piastri third and Isack Hadjar (who returns after a wrist injury) in fourth, with Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto finishing off the top 10, though Sainz has taken a five-place grid drop. 

The race begins at noon BST and we will be here for all of the build-up, latest updates and reaction from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.  

The next ticket window opens shortly at 1pm, and there’s going to be another one later on at 5pm. There will be three more sales windows opening tomorrow.

If you’re hoping to get hold of tickets we’ve got some useful tips for you. The first one is pretty obvious but keep checking your emails. Fans who are hoping to secure tickets for Oasis Live ’27 should keep an eye on their emails – the same email address they used when registering for tickets last week.

While some fans may have already received their unique codes and links, Ticketmaster warned that codes could be sent anytime between Thursday (September 24) and Sunday (September 27).

Another handy tip is to try a different network and uninstall VPN. During the first day of ticket sales yesterday, some fans were receiving an error message saying “unusual behaviour” had been detected. In response to this, Ticketmaster suggested updating their device’s operating system and app, and uninstalling any VPNs being used.

Ticketmaster has also told the Manchester Evening News this message is used to ‘block bots so that real people can get tickets’. They have advised If people see this message, they can try using another device or using a different internet connection.

You can find more useful tips here.

EXCLUSIVE: Carmit Bachar found fame as one of the founding members of the Pussycat Dolls, but earlier this year, she was stunned to find out her bandmates were reuniting – without being consulted

As one-sixth of the Pussycat Dolls, Carmit Bachar achieved more than one could dream about. With sell-out tours and platinum records, the singer and dancer was often travelling between several countries each week, performing to thousands of fans.

But this year, things took a drastic turn when it was revealed that the iconic girl group would be reuniting. It later transpired that the group would now consist of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.

Former members Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta, and Carmit, a founding member of the group, had been excluded and learned of it through the media.

Jessica and Carmit, however, were part of the 2019 reunion, which Nicole later cancelled. Last year, Kimberly told the Mirror that she had been working on plans for the band, but it had been “difficult” getting each member on the same page.

“It was definitely disappointing not having direct communication,” Carmit said of learning that the group would be plotting a comeback. But rather than being bitter, she explained: “I chose to stay focused on my own growth, my new music and protecting my peace.”

On whether her former bandmates, who are currently touring, have reached out, Carmit replied: “I’ll always honour what we built together. What happened after speaks for itself.”

Following the decision to tour as a trio, fans of the band, famed for hits including Don’t Cha and React, have expressed their anger on social media. “I hear them and understand their feelings completely,” Carmit said, adding: “I just channel all that love and passion straight into my solo work and give them 100per cent of me.”

Collectively, the group has sold around 54 million records worldwide, grossing an estimated $250 million during their tenure. Ashley previously revealed that the money was never split equally among the band.

Although some fans of the band have purchased tickets to see Nicole, Kimberly and Ashley, their tour hasn’t gone without hiccups. Only recently, Nicole suffered a malfunction, which meant she missed performing a track in Poland due to issues with her in-ear monitors.

It’s also been hit with poor sales across the UK. On October 10, the Don’t Cha hitmakers will perform at Manchester’s Co-op Live, the biggest indoor UK arena, but only a fraction of the tickets for the 23,500-capacity venue have sold.

Instead, just two blocks have sold out completely. Several VIP Buttons Behind The Scenes Experience tickets, costing £645.60 are available, along with standard tickets priced at £106.75. Their final performance is slated for October 13 at London’s O2 Arena, but promoters have now launched a special deal to sell more tickets. A group of four tickets can now be purchased for £150, including booking fees.

For context, the cheapest ticket on Ticketmaster is £78.10 for a seat in Level 4 of the arena. This offer, with the O2, is valid until the date of the show. Elsewhere, there’s a huge sale across the whole tour. Earlier this month, Ticketmaster sent out an email, advising users of a “group ticket offer” for every show, meaning fans can get four tickets for £150, across the whole tour.

The group had already cancelled a string of dates across the United States but honoured a scheduled performance at WeHo Pride in Los Angeles. But while she’s not performing with the Dolls, it’s fair to say that Carmit’s schedule is just as busy, with several performances each week.

Last weekend, she took to the stage at the Sony Hall in New York, delivering a unique spin on a performance of Don’t Chat, featuring the Voodoo Orchestra. Addressing performing alone, she said: “When you’re surrounded by people with good energy, everything just feels more fun.

“Doing what I love with people I love and being in the spotlight on my own terms feels like exactly where I belong.” Despite the negativity surrounding the reunion tour, Carmit holds nothing but positive memories from her time in the band.

“It was a complete whirlwind,” she said of the instant fame the group achieved. The singer continued: “In a different country every day, touring nonstop, music videos, photo shoots, radio stations and some of the coolest experiences.

“Connecting with fans all over the world was incredible, and it’s a chapter I feel so lucky to have lived. I still carry that connection with those fans to this day, and I cherish the memory of getting to perform on that level.” Her fondest memories are, of course, performing to fans of the band, where “thousands of people” would sing every lyric back to the group. “That collective energy is unforgettable,” she commented.

One performance in particular has a strong presence in Carmit’s mind. She revealed: “Live Earth [climate change awareness concert] at Wembley Stadium was probably the most impactful and memorable show we were a part of.” Earlier this month, Carmit treated fans with the release of her EP, Carmit Part II – a process which she says was “liberating”.

“It feels incredible,” she said of releasing new music. Carmit went on to say: “Releasing this second chapter is pure liberation, full of remixes and a new unreleased track that I know my fans are gonna love, Déjá Vu.” Déjá Vu, however, had been locked in the archives for almost 20 years, having initially been recorded in 2008.

Of the track, Carmit says it “captures a moment in time”. It was around this time that Carmit left the group, later disclosing that she had been forced out. But while she has been credited with both lead and backing vocals on earlier Dolls tracks, the single is fully Carmit, having written and composed it.

She said it was “empowering” to now have such control over her work. She disclosed: “It was a collaboration with Jared Gosselin and Phillip Bianco. Being in total creative control allowed me to tell the stories exactly the way I wanted.”

Despite being in the industry since 1993, Carmit is still blown away by the levels of support from her fans, aptly named Foxes. Speaking of her memories with them, she gushed: “Seeing them tell their nostalgic stories with the old songs and how they’re feeling with the new ones. Their loyalty and energy after all these years constantly blow me away.”

Carmit Part II is available to stream now.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Residents said they were at court to “seek justice for our community”

Garvaghy Road residents challenging a ruling permitting the Orange Order to march along their street have said they will seek to find out if PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher “misled” the ruling body.

The Parades Commission, which decides on contentious marches in Northern Ireland, ruled on the order’s application for the Drumcree parade, allowing them to walk down the largely nationalist road in Portadown for the first time in almost 30 years.

The commission placed a number of restrictions on the procession, including an 8am start time on Sunday and limiting it to 35 participants.

The application from the Portadown District of the Orange Order proposed 60 Orange Order members take part in the procession.

The PSNI is expected to put in place a significant security operation for the parade, with officers from outside the region set to assist under mutual aid arrangements.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the High Court in Belfast to support residents of the Garvaghy Road as they challenged the ruling on Saturday.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith, from the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, addressed the crowd, saying they were at court to “seek justice for our community in Portadown.”

“All of this depends on the support that we have, not just here, the support that we have in Portadown as you are probably aware, over the last number of days, coming from all of the six counties, and coming from the 26 counties – Ireland’s behind us,” he said.

“Ireland’s standing for justice here. And for this to be a so-called ‘small, normal, little’ demonstration by the Orange Order, the Chief Constable is going to have to explain why he decided at the beginning of the week that he needed reinforcements from England.

“Did he mislead the Parades Commission? Did he lie to the Parades Commission? That’s what we are going to try and discover this morning.”

Also present in court on Saturday were DUP representatives Carla Lockhart, Jonathan Buckley and Diane Dodds, alongside Portadown Orange District LOL 1 legal representative and loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.

Alongside Mr Mac Cionnaith were Sinn Féin representatives John O’Dowd and Catherine Nelson, as well as SDLP leader Claire Hanna and MLA Justin McNulty.

The Drumcree parade dominated headlines in the 1990s when violent clashes and political tension necessitated a major security operation for several summers as Garvaghy Road residents rejected the march passing Drumcree church through the community.

A number of people were killed during tensions in the 1990s linked to the dispute.

The Portadown district released a statement on Saturday morning welcoming the fact the group will “complete its 1998 parade home from Drumcree along its traditional route”.

“While we are not happy with the further restrictions that have been placed upon us, we will comply fully with the law and the determination,” they said.

“We now ask our community to do likewise. We would appeal to everyone to conduct themselves responsibly and peacefully, and not to do anything that could increase tensions within the community.

“For 28 years, this district has been required to comply with determinations placed upon it.

“All we ask now is that the same respect for the law and the determination is shown by those who have been affected by this decision.

“We hope that the 27 September can pass peacefully and that everyone involved will act responsibly and respect the determination.”

For all the reaction to this developing story, follow our live blog here. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter

Music icons can be a great inspiration for baby names.

While many parents share the excitement of starting a family, they already need to start making tough decisions before the baby is even born. Deciding what to name your bouncing baby girl or boy can be a difficult task as there are so many beautiful names to choose from.

To make this decision a little bit easier, many parents choose to take inspiration from people they admire. Whether that be an actor, musician or film character, many names found in the 2025 list of Scotland’s most popular baby names have been found to have links to other well known Scots.

Using the National Record of Scotland’s data, guitarguitar has collated the most popular baby names in Scotland for boys and girls that are the same as prominent Scottish and Scotland-born musicians and producers. From the shortlist, the names Jack and Rose were seen to come out on top.

The most popular baby boy name in 2025 that has links to Scottish artists is Jack, with 200 being given the name last year. The name is shared with Glasgow-born singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack Bruce.

Best known as the bassist and principal vocalist of Cream, Bruce is said to be one of the most influential bass guitarists of his generation. A popular name amongst Scottish parents, Jack ranked 13th overall in the 2025 Scotland names list.

Just falling into second place on the male musician shortlist is the name James. With 199 babies in Scotland recorded with the name in 2025, the name is shared with James Johnston from Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro.

James, along with his twin brother Ben and frontman Sam Neil, has been part of the group since it emerged from the Scottish alternative scene. Now headlining major festivals, Johnstone covers bass, vocals and songwriting for the band.

Also making it into the top five boy names were Lewis and Angus with over a hundred baby boys being given the respective names last year. On the other hand, fewer girls’ names were found to have links to Scottish musicians from the 2025 data.

With a total of 58 recorded names, Rose topped the list for girl names. Shared with Glasgow musician Rose McDowall, she is best known for forming pop duo group Strawberry Switchblade. Along with being a singer-songwriter, McDowell is a multi-instrumentalist.

Taking the second spot is Evelyn, with 49 babies named in 2025. Linked to Dame Evelyn Glennie, she brings classical and orchestral music to a list that is otherwise dominated by pop, rock and folk.

The double Grammy winner was raised in Aberdeenshire and became the world’s first to sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. Evelyn was closely followed by Annie – with links to Annie Lennox – and Elizabeth on the short list.

Marketing director of guitarguitar Adam Speck said: “Scotland has produced an extraordinary range of musicians, from international pop stars and rock guitarists to folk singers, composers and classical performers, and looking at their first names gives us an unexpected snapshot of how naming fashions have changed.

“Some names have moved seamlessly between generations. Jack and James remain among Scotland’s most popular choices for boys, while names such as Rose, Evelyn and Annie still feel completely at home on a modern baby-name list.”

He added: “But others show just how quickly fashions can change. It is remarkable that names connected with figures as famous as Mark Knopfler, Susan Boyle, Shirley Manson, Sheena Easton and Lulu can now be so unusual among newborns.”

The top 5 baby boy names shared with Scottish musicians

1. Jack (200) – Jack Bruce
2. James (199) – James Johnston from Biffy Clyro
3. Lewis (151) – Lewis Capaldi
4. Angus (112) – Angus Young from AC/DC
5. George (88) – George Young from The Easybeats
6. David (58) – David Bryne from Talking Heads
7. John (50) – John McGeoch
8. Ben (28) – Ben Johnston from Biffy Clyro
9. Scott (23) – Scott Hutchison from Frightened Rabbit
10. Calvin (22) – Calvin Harris

The top nine baby girl names shared with Scottish musicians

1. Rose (58) – Rose McDowall
2. Evelyn (49) – Dame Evelyn Glennie
3. Annie (46) – Annie Lennox
4. Elizabeth (38) – Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins
5. Maggie (26) – Maggie Reilly
6. Isobel (20) – Isobel Campbell
7. Amy (17) – Amy Macdonald
8. Rachel (10) – Rachel Sermanni
9. Mairi (7) – Mairi Campbell

The family of missing Aberdare man Ricky Harris are marking his 34th birthday as police continue their search for answers almost three years after he disappeared.

Ricky was last seen on CCTV at around 2.20pm on Saturday, November 18, 2023, in the Maes-y-Deri area of Aberdare.

His whereabouts have remained unknown despite an extensive investigation and searches involving specialist police teams, divers, dog units, helicopters and drones.

The latest development came in June when a 41-year-old man from Mountain Ash was arrested on suspicion of preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice in connection with Ricky’s disappearance.

He has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Despite extensive searches, Ricky has never been found.

When Catherine Zeta-Jones first strutted onto the small screen in her jodhpurs, thick black hair tumbling around her shoulders in ITV’s The Darling Buds Of May, it was immediately clear a movie star had been born.

The Welsh actress possessed a rich, luminous beauty worthy of silver-screen legends such as Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner – a quality rarely seen on British television in the 1990s and even today.

Fast-forward 35 years and Zeta-Jones is back, starring as a female mob boss in Kill Jackie. And, perhaps most excitingly for fans, the Oscar-winning actress has returned to her roots, delivering her performance in her native Welsh lilt after decades of using her transatlantic accent for Hollywood roles.

In the trailer for the new crime drama, she wields a gun, swears like a trooper and tears along the highway on a moped. Yet one of the most striking things is not her action-hero antics but her timeless beauty.

At 57, Zeta-Jones is surely a poster girl for ageing gracefully in an industry where some stars can become almost unrecognisable after too many tweakments.

She has retained her signature look, including her stunning eyes and long, dark Celtic locks, despite the familiar advice that women over 40 should cut their hair short. 

The Welsh actress has always possessed a rich, luminous beauty worthy of silver-screen legends such as Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner – a quality rarely seen on British television in the 1990s and even today

And while she inevitably looks older than in her movie-star heyday, when she conquered Hollywood in The Mask Of Zorro before winning an Oscar for her high-kicking performance as Velma Kelly in Chicago, she remains instantly recognisable as the striking young Welsh actress who first captured the public’s imagination.

Even her Hollywood romance has proved unusually enduring. While so many showbusiness marriages buckle under the glare of publicity, Zeta-Jones has been married to legendary actor Michael Douglas for 26 years. They have two grown-up children, Carys, 23 and Dylan, 26.

Perhaps that settled home life, away from the cameras, has helped provide some contentment amid the fickle world of showbusiness, something that can shine from within.

So, as audiences prepare to admire her beauty once more, what exactly is behind Zeta-Jones’s remarkably consistent appearance?

Dr Maryam Zamani, oculoplastic surgeon and founder of MZ Skin, believes restraint may be key.

‘Catherine Zeta-Jones is a wonderful example of ageing gracefully. At 57 she looks absolutely fantastic, but importantly, she still looks like herself,’ she says.

‘My feeling is that she may use very light neuromodulators, enough to soften lines while retaining movement and expression. That is very different from having a completely frozen face.’

Dr Zamani stresses that she has no knowledge of Zeta-Jones’s private treatment history and says photographs can never establish exactly what someone has, or has not, had done.

The actress (pictured with husband Michael Douglas in 1999) has retained her signature look, including her flashing green eyes and long, dark Celtic locks, despite the familiar advice that women over 40 should cut their hair short

‘What I particularly like about Catherine is that, from what I can see, there is no obvious sense of over-treatment. I don’t see a face that has been excessively filled or surgically altered,’ she says. ‘Personally, I don’t see obvious signs of major facial surgery. The key is restraint.’

Long before Hollywood came calling, Zeta-Jones began her showbusiness career as a singer and dancer, landing a lead role in the West End musical 42nd Street at just 17.

Her extraordinary dance talent would later serve her well in Chicago, where her performance as Velma Kelly earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2003.

And the discipline of her dancing days appears to have stayed with her. Her willowy physique, energetic movement and polished red-carpet style suggest an actress who has remained active throughout her life, while making shrewd, age-appropriate fashion choices.

Dr Arti Singh, an advanced aesthetics expert, says lifestyle factors may also contribute to her appearance.

‘I’d say her timeless beauty is down to many factors, such as keeping hydrated, following an anti-inflammatory diet and staying active, as well as a considered and consistent skincare regime.’ over-treatment

Zeta-Jones herself has spoken about her approach to food. In a 2021 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she revealed that she is a ‘three meals a day kind of girl’, rather than someone who survives on restrictive diets.

The actress’ willowy physique, energetic movement and polished red-carpet style suggest an actress who has remained active throughout her life, while making shrewd, age-appropriate fashion choices

Her typical day included porridge with brown sugar, bananas and blueberries for breakfast, a blue-cheese and spinach salad for lunch, grilled cod and, later, steak with mushroom sauce.

Beauty expert Laura Kay, founder of Laura Kay London, says: ‘Catherine Zeta-Jones looks remarkable for her age.   

‘She evidently takes a more invested approach to her health and beauty, and one of the key things she says is that she keeps her body inflammation-free inside and out, from no alcohol and balancing pH levels to exercise and general lifestyle factors.’

And perhaps that is the secret to Zeta-Jones’s enduring appeal.

When you tune into Kill Jackie, you are not simply watching a modern British showbusiness icon. You are watching a woman who, after more than three decades in the spotlight, appears remarkably loyal to her own idea of beauty.

Unbothered by every passing trend, fad or miracle diet, Catherine Zeta-Jones has remained unmistakably herself.

Perhaps being ageless is less about trying to look younger and more about knowing what suits you, then sticking with it, come what may.

Donald Trump taunted Iran as he labelled the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” after Tehran proposed a deal to open the key waterway within a week if the US meets certain conditions.

In a post on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Saturday, the US president shared a picture of a map, with the shipping route labelled with his own name.

It comes after Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi presented a seven-day plan involving a ceasefire to American negotiators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. The conditions for Washington largely echo the ones agreed to in the June deal that fell apart.

They stated that Tehran would reopen the key waterway and resume talks on its nuclear programme but only if the US lifts its naval blockade, waives oil sanctions and observes a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.

Lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, as well as waiving sanctions on oil sales, would allow Tehran to ship out more of its crude and help its economy as its currency hits record lows and inflation soars.

Araqchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday that the deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.

“If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and ⁠reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” he said.

The White House said it was engaged in “constructive discussions” via mediators, but a Wall St Journal report cited US officials as saying Trump was sceptical that Iran would meet his demands.

Trump’s Saturday Truth Social post is the latest example of him coming up with his own names for locations to attempt to make a political point.

He posted a map on Truth Social of New Mexico earlier this month, but the word Mexico was crossed out and replaced with America.

‘Naming’ the southwestern state on the US-Mexico border as New America was reminiscent of an executive order he signed early in his second term, in which he changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

In that January 2025 executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” Trump also changed the name of North America’s tallest peak, Denali in Alaska, back to Mount McKinley.

Trump’s controversial naming of America’s geography didn’t stop there. The president signed an executive order late last month changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America amid an escalating trade war with Canada.

Despite Trump repeatedly suggesting Canada become the nation’s 51st state, he recently told Fox News, “They think they’re a state, but they’re not a state. Why should we be subsidizing Canada?”