When Trump first used the term “Arabian Gulf” during a 2017 speech, then-President Hassan Rouhani retorted that the US leader needed a geography lesson [Getty]
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday denounced US President Donald Trump’s reported plan to officially rename the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf” during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, calling the move “an insult to all Iranians”.
In a statement shared on social media, Araghchi rejected the US president’s reported intention to adopt the alternative name long favoured by Arab states bordering the waterway.
“Any politically motivated attempt to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf is a sign of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and is firmly condemned,” he wrote.
The rebuke followed a report by The Associated Press citing two unnamed US officials who said Trump plans to announce the name change during his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates next week.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the new designation would apply within US government usage.
The body of water, which lies along Iran’s southern coast, has been known internationally as the Persian Gulf since at least the 16th century. While the term “Arabian Gulf” is commonly used in some Arab states, Iran has repeatedly insisted on the historical name and has pushed back against past efforts to alter it.
In 2012, Tehran threatened to sue Google for omitting the label altogether from its maps.
‘Erasing history’
Araghchi emphasised that Iran has never objected to other regional maritime names, such as the Arabian Sea or Gulf of Oman, saying those do not imply national ownership but rather mutual respect for shared geographic heritage.
“What is being attempted here is not about naming,” he said. “It is about erasing history.”
He further accused the Trump administration of deliberately stoking tensions. “This baseless move has no legal or geographical standing,” he said. “Its only result will be to provoke anger among Iranians of all political backgrounds, inside and outside Iran.”
The naming dispute has long carried symbolic weight in Iran, where many see the term “Persian Gulf” as integral to their national identity and historical legacy as the heart of the Persian Empire.
When Trump first used the term “Arabian Gulf” during a 2017 speech, then-President Hassan Rouhani retorted that the US leader needed a geography lesson.
Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the time remarked: “Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too.”
The US military has for years unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in official communications. However, the move to codify that naming across the US government would mark a significant diplomatic shift.
The Trump administration has cultivated close ties with Gulf Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, often aligning with them in opposition to Iran.
Trump’s upcoming trip is expected to focus on regional security, efforts to counter Iran’s nuclear programme, and economic cooperation, as well as drumming up support for US policies in the Middle East, including the ongoing war in Gaza.
Though Trump can change naming conventions for internal US purposes, international naming is governed by the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), which continues to recognise the body of water as the Persian Gulf. The IHO allows for regional differences in usage, but official charts continue to reflect long-established names.
Araghchi expressed hope that the reported name change would remain a “ridiculous rumour” or a “publicity stunt by warmongers who seek to provoke Iranians worldwide”.
“Such a move, if carried out, would carry no weight — neither legally, nor geographically — and would only deepen the divide between the American government and the Iranian people,” he said.
