Iran strongly condemned the news that US President Donald Trump was planning to rename the Persian Gulf as Arab Gulf or Arabia during his upcoming visit to the Arab states. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attempt to change the historical name of the waterway would cause the extensive will of Iranians.
“Politically motivated attempts to change the historically established Gulf name testify to the enemy intention to Iran and his people and are firmly convicted,” Araghchi said.
“Any short-sighted step in this context will not have any validity or legal or geographical effect-only anger of all Iranians from all areas of life and political persuasion in Iran, the US and worldwide.”
Reza Pahlavi joins criticism
Even opposition figures critical of the current regime of Iran expressed their disagreement. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Iranian last Shah, which was deposed in 1979, described this step as a serious insult.
“The Persian Gulf is not only a name, but a historical reality,” Pahlavi said in a post on social media. “The reported decision of President Trump to abolish history, if true, is an insult to the inhabitants of Iran and our great civilization.”
Trump: “I’ll have to decide”
Trump talked to reporters at the White House on Wednesday and confirmed that the problem would be on the table during his meeting in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE next week.
“When I get there, they will ask me and I will have to decide,” Trump said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Associated Press reported on Tuesday that two American officials who are with this matter said that Trump intends to announce the change of name during their journey. Officials asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive internal negotiations.
Long -term dispute
The Persian Gulf has been widely recognized since the 16th century, but the Arab states have long pushed the term Arabian Gulf, reflecting geopolitical rivalry in the region. Iran, formerly Persia, constantly defended the traditional name and even threatened legal action against companies like Google in 2012, to omit the label on digital maps.
On Google Maps in the US, the waterway appears as “Persian Gulf (Arabic Gulf)”, while Apple maps refer to this only as a Persian bay. For years, however, the US Army has used the “Arab Gulf” in the official communication.
Trump’s wider strategy
The change of the reported name comes in the middle of Trump’s efforts to strengthen the ties with the nations of the Gulf, which aims to ensure their financial investment and cooperation in the field of regional security. His upcoming journey to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates refers to his first overseas visit from the entry into office.
(Tagstotranslate) Iranian conviction
