President Donald Trump plans to announce that the United States will refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or Gulf of Arabia during his upcoming Middle East trip next week.
The expected announcement would come as Trump visits Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to US officials familiar with the discussions.
The move follows Trump's earlier controversial decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" within the United States.
The name of the body of water has long been a point of contention between Arab nations and Iran.
Trump's move would cause outrage with Iran
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The location of the Persian Gulf
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Arab countries have pushed for years to change the geographic name of the waterway off Iran's southern coast. Iran, home of the former Persian empire, has maintained its historic ties to the gulf and argues for keeping the original name.
The area has been widely known as the Persian Gulf since roughly the 1700s, though it's referred to as the Arabian Gulf in many Arab countries.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he expects his hosts in the Middle East to ask him about the name change.
"They're going to ask me about that when I get there, and I'll have to make a decision," Trump said. "I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings."
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The President drew outrage after the announcement about the Gulf of America
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The discussions regarding the change are ongoing, and it remains unclear exactly when the president will make the announcement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the potential name change, warning it would "bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the US and across the world."
Araghchi wrote on X that "politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf" indicate "hostile intent toward Iran."
Even Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah and opponent of the current Iranian government, called the move "an affront to the people of Iran."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
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The move echoes Trump's earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," which Google Maps now lists for US-based users.
That renaming led to a dispute with The Associated Press that has resulted in court involvement. The AP said it would continue using "Gulf of Mexico" in its news coverage while acknowledging the new name.
House Republicans are attempting to codify the Gulf of Mexico name change but face resistance within their ranks. While Trump can change the name for official US purposes, he cannot dictate what the rest of the world calls it.
Google Maps currently labels the region "Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)," whilst Apple Maps and major US news outlets call it the Persian Gulf.
The US military has for years used "Arabian Gulf" in its statements and images.
