President Donald Trump is expected to announce that the U.S. will refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf, or the Gulf of Arabia, while visiting Saudi Arabia during the week of May 11. The plan was revealed by a pair of U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
Iran takes a hard stance
The anticipated announcement comes as Arab nations have lobbied for a change to the name of the body of water, 1,000 miles of which borders Iran’s southern coast. Iran, formerly known as Persia during the 16th century until 1935, has kept historic ties to the body of water. Tehran even threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the tech giant’s decision to forgo a label for the body of water on all of its maps. Now, on Google Maps in the United States, the area is labeled as the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf) while Apple Maps simply displays the Persian Gulf. Tehran also threatened airlines calling the waterway the “Arabian Gulf” on in-flight monitors with expulsion from Iranian airspace back in 2010.
The Pentagon has referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and the release of pictures for years.
The name of the Gulf has become a rallying cry for Iranians who think fondly of their nation’s long history as the Persian Empire. Trump formerly had a dispute with Tehran during his first term in 2017 when he called the body of water the Arabian Gulf. Iranian officials criticized the use of the name by the president, saying he needs to “study geography.”
How is Iran responding?
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the latest report with a post on X on Wednesday, May 7, calling Trump’s plan “politically motivated,” and said “attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned.”
Trump can rename the Gulf for official U.S. purposes, but it does not mean other nations have to follow suit.
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President Donald Trump will make an announcement that the United States will now call the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, the “Gulf of Arabia,” or the “Arabian Gulf.”
Trump’s Middle East trip will include visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which all have coastlines along the Persian Gulf. The overseas trip has many goals for Trump. The president is seeking financial investment in the United States from the countries and is looking to garner support for military efforts in the Middle East. He is also seeking an end to the Israel-Hamas war and forwarding efforts to stop Tehran from developing its nuclear program any further.
The bigger picture
The planned announcement comes after Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. would refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Now, CNN reports that Speaker Mike Johnson is facing some resistance from within his own party to pass a bill making Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf law. The legislation introduced by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene requires federal agencies to rename all maps and official documents to feature the “Gulf of America” rather than the “Gulf of Mexico.” While GOP leaders say they believe the bill can pass, they note, it cannot afford to lose any more votes.
AP versus the Trump administration
The Trump administration banned The Associated Press’s journalists from the White House earlier this year after the outlet would not refer to the waterway as the “Gulf of America,” instead opting for the “Gulf of Mexico.” The AP subsequently sued the Trump administration, and a federal judge ruled in April that the First Amendment protects the news organization’s right to use the term “Gulf of Mexico” and ordered that the AP once again be granted access to the White House. In turn, the AP says it will maintain its use of “Gulf of Mexico” in its coverage and stylebook, but acknowledges the “Gulf of America” name.
