The US President Donald Trump has abandoned the idea of officially calling the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf due to strong opposition from Iran.
CNN reports this, citing a source familiar with US-Iranian negotiations.
In early May 2025, the Associated Press, citing sources, wrote that Trump plans to announce during his visit to Saudi Arabia that the United States will henceforth call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf.
Arab countries have long sought to change the geographical name of the body of water south of Iran, while Iran insists on its historical name. After the new statement about the possible renaming, Iranian representatives "strongly indicated" to the United States that they oppose such a move, CNN adds.
The Persian Gulf has been known by this name since the 16th century, although in many Middle Eastern countries the names “Arabian Gulf” or “Arabian Gulf” are more common. The government of Iran—a country formerly known as Persia—threatened to sue Google in 2012 for not including the name of the gulf on its maps.
Google Maps in the US lists this body of water as the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps lists it as the Persian Gulf. But the US military has been unilaterally using the name Arabian Gulf in its statements and images for many years.
The name of the gulf is emotionally significant for Iranians, who revere the centuries-old history of the Persian Empire. During Trumpʼs first term as president in 2017, a scandal erupted when he called the body of water the Arabian Gulf. Then-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani advised Trump to "study geography."
- The US is trying to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran. The details of the deal are still officially unknown. But this is one reason why Trump could reject the idea of renaming the Persian Gulf.
- This is not the first geographical renaming since Trump returned to the White House. In January, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and returned the name McKinley to Denali, the highest mountain in the United States.
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