While on a trip to Saudi Arabia next week, President Trump is scheduled to announce that the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf or the Arabian Gulf, according to two US officials.
Arab countries are seeking changes in the geographical name of the waters off the southern coast of Iran, and Iran maintains historic ties to the Gulf.
The two U.S. officials spoke with The Associated Press on Tuesday, on condition of anonymity, discussing the issue. The White House and the National Security Council did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The Persian Gulf has been widely known by its name since the 16th century, but the use of the “Arabian Gulf” and “Arabian Gulf” is dominated in many countries in the Middle East. The Iranian government (formerly Persia) threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s decision not to label any water bodies on the map at all.
In Google Maps in the US, bodies of water appear as the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps is just talking about the Persian Gulf.
For many years, the US military has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf, in the statements and images it releases.
The names of the waters have become an emotional issue for Iranians who embrace the country’s long history as a Persian Empire. It occurred in 2017 during Trump’s first term when he used the name Arabian Gulf for his waterway. Hassan Rouhani, the then-Iranian president, suggested that Trump needed to “study geography.”
“Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was being sold to the highest bidders, and so did his geography,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote online at the time.
On Wednesday, Iran’s current foreign minister said the naming of the Middle Eastern waterway “reflects a common respect for human collective heritage, rather than implying ownership by a particular country.”
“The politically motivated attempt to change the historically established name of the Persian Gulf has been firmly condemned, showing an intention of hostility towards Iran and its people,” writes Abbas Aragci on Social Platform X.
“The myopia steps associated with this, if they have no effectiveness or legal or geographical effect, will only bring out the rage of all Iranians from all life and political persuasion in Iran, the United States and all around the world.”
Trump can change his name for official US purposes, but he cannot direct what other parts of the world call it.
The international waterway organization, which is a member of the United States, works to ensure that all oceans, oceans and navigable waters of the world are uniformly investigated and charted, and ensure that some of them are guaranteed. Countries may refer to the same waters or landmarks under different names in their own documents.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump will also visit the capitals of the United Arab Emirates, Doha, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Originally planned as Trump’s first trip since taking office on January 20th, it comes as Trump sought financial investment in the United States and tried to approach Gulf countries for support in regional conflicts, such as resolving the Israeli Hama War in Gaza and limiting Iran’s advanced nuclear programme.
The US President also has important economic ties with the country through his personal business.
The move comes months after Trump said the US would call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
The Associated Press sued the Trump administration earlier this year after the White House banned journalists from covering most of the events due to the decision the White House would not follow the organization’s decision not to comply with the president’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “American Gulf” within the United States.
President Trump’s appointee, US District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, last month ruled that the First Amendment protected the Associated Press from government retaliation for the choice of words and restored access to the outlet.
Lee writes for the Associated Press. Washington AP writers Zeke Miller, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates John Gambrel and Megkinnard of Chapin, South Carolina contributed to this report.
