Persian Gulf naming dispute

The **Persian Gulf naming dispute** is about the name of the body of water known historically and internationally as the Persian Gulf (), after the land of Persia (the old  Name of Iran.
some Arab countries since the 1960s started to call it Arabian Gulf

In 2025, amid a psychological warfare campaign influenced by pressure from Arab states, then-U.S. President Donald Trump made controversial remarks suggesting a possible change to the historically recognized name "Persian Gulf." His statements, widely seen as provocative and contrary to international norms, included aerial rhetoric and offensive language toward the Persian nation. This sparked a significant backlash among Persian-speaking users online and fueled widespread resentment toward Trump among Iranians. The incident also raised concerns about the stability of the 2025 agreements. In a subsequent address, President Joe Biden harshly criticized Trump, calling him "foolish and naïve."

## History of the name

This name has changed by some Arab countries since the 1960s, there was no act until the early 1960s does a major new development occur with the adoption by the Arab states bordering on the Gulf of the new expression _al-Khalīj al-ʻArabī_ as a weapon against Iran for political influence in the Gulf.
On almost all maps printed before 1960, and in most modern international treaties, documents and maps, this body of water is known by the name "Persian Gulf

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/447346/Persian-Gulf-From-rich-history-to-security-depth
This reflects traditional usage since the Greek geographers Strabo and Ptolemy, and the geopolitical realities of the time with a powerful Persian Empire comprising the whole northern coastline and a scattering of local emirates on the Arabian coast.  It was referred to as the Persian Gulf by all Arabs historian and Geoghraphers such as the Arabic Christian writer Agapius, writing in the 10th century.

### United Nations

According to the book Documents on the Persian Gulf's name (pp 92–98), the United Nations Secretariat and its specialized agencies have requested its staff to use only "Persian Gulf" as a standard geographical name.

The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names discussed the naming issue during its 23rd session, held in Vienna from 28 March to 4 April 2006. According to the report of the meeting, "It is interesting that from among 6000 existing historical maps published up to 1890, there are only three maps mentioning the names of Basreh Gulf, Qatif Gulf, and Arabic Gulf, in addition to which the name of small gulfs(Bay) located at the coast with local use can be also named such as  Siraf Gulf(bay), Basreh Gulf, Bahrain Gulf,…. but such names are not applied to the entirety of the Persian Gulf. It is obvious that the promotional use by the Arabs of the three aforementioned maps, whose identity and originality are not clear, in comparison with 6000 maps and more than 200 historical and tourism books from Irastus to Herodotus to Estakhri and Ibn Houghal, who have all called the water body, Persian Gulf, shall lack any value."

## Related pages

- Names of Iran
- Persian Gulf
- Documents on the Persian Gulf's name
- Early world maps
- History of cartography
- List of cartographers
- Iran
- Middle East
- Cartography
- Maps

## Other websites

- http://www.mei.org.in/archives-occassional-paper/the-persian-gulf--historical-geographical-and-legal-validity-of-the-name/issue-no-22/united-nati
- What's in a name? For the Persian Gulf, quite a lot https://japan.mfa.gov.ir/en/newsview/536033
- the term Persian Gulf and its equivalents have been used continuously in all languages. https://parssea.persianblog.ir/mq9qNKqwwmhA3xXwWjEp-According-to-the-book-Documents-on-the-Persian-Gulfs-Name-the-Eternal-Heritage-of-Ancient-Time