Trump plans to announce that the US will call the Persian Gulf the
Arabian Gulf, officials say
[May 07, 2025]
By MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to announce while on his
trip to Saudi Arabia next week that the United States will now refer to
the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, according to
two U.S. officials.
Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body
of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its
historic ties to the gulf.
The two U.S. officials spoke with The Associated Press on Tuesday on
condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The White House and
National Security Council did not immediately respond to messages
seeking comment.
The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th
century, although usage of “Gulf of Arabia” and “Arabian Gulf” is
dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran —
formerly Persia — threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s
decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps.
On Google Maps in the U.S., the body of water appears as Persian Gulf
(Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. military for years has unilaterally referred to the Persian
Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases.
The name of the body of water has become an emotive issue for Iranians
who embrace their country’s long history as the Persian Empire. A spat
developed in 2017 during Trump’s first term when he used the name
Arabian Gulf for the waterway. Iran’s president at the time, Hassan
Rouhani, suggested Trump needed to “study geography.”
“Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We
now know that his geography is, too,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif wrote online at the time.
On Wednesday, Iran's current foreign minister also weighed in, saying
that names of Mideast waterways do “not imply ownership by any
particular nation, but rather reflects a shared respect for the
collective heritage of humanity.”
“Politically motivated 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,” Abbas Araghchi wrote on the
social platform X.
"Any short-sighted step in this connection will have no validity or
legal or geographical effect, it will only bring the wrath of all
Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the
U.S. and across the world."
Trump can change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he can’t
dictate what the rest of the world calls it.
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President Donald Trump speaks before Steve Witkoff is sworn as
special envoy during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White
House, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark
Schiefelbein)
The International Hydrographic Organization — of which the United
States is a member — works to ensure all the world’s seas, oceans
and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also
names some of them. There are instances where countries refer to the
same body of water or landmark by different names in their own
documentation.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump is also set to visit Doha, Qatar,
and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which also
lie on the body of water. Originally planned as Trump’s first trip
overseas since he took office on Jan. 20, it comes as Trump has
tried to draw closer to the Gulf countries as he seeks their
financial investment in the U.S. and support in regional conflicts,
including resolving the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and limiting Iran’s
advancing nuclear program.
The U.S. president also has significant financial ties to the
countries through his personal businesses, over which he has
retained ownership from the Oval Office.
The move comes several months after Trump said the U.S. would refer
to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The Associated Press sued the Trump administration earlier this year
after the White House barred its journalists from covering most
events because of the organization’s decision not to follow the
president’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the
“Gulf of America” within the United States.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President
Donald Trump, ruled last month that the First Amendment protects the
AP from government retaliation over its word choice and ordered the
outlet’s access to be reinstated.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Jon Gambrell in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South
Carolina, contributed to this report.
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