U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to rename another important body of water in his quest to change U.S. maps.
Trump wants to rename the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf or Gulf of Arabia on official U.S. maps, according to a confirmation from White House officials to AP.
The announcement is expected to me made during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia.
Highlights
- President Trump plans to rename the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf or Gulf of Arabia on official U.S. maps.
- Iran sees the name 'Persian Gulf' as a core national pride element dating back to the 16th century and strongly opposes the renaming.
- Arab countries prefer the term 'Arabian Gulf,' a name already used by the U.S. military and reflected partially on Google Maps.
- Iranian officials warn that changing the gulf's name is politically motivated, hostile, and will trigger backlash from Iranians worldwide.
- Trump recently renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, showing a pattern of altering traditional geographic names for U.S. use.
Trump is likely to make his final decision on the name of the gulf during his visit to the Middle East next week.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that the matter is under discussion.
“They’re going to ask me about that when I get there, and I’ll have to make a decision,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings.”
Donald Trump plans to rename the Persian Gulf
Image credits: The White House/ Flickr
The body of water lies between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It has historically been known as the Persian Gulf, a name recognized by international institutions.
Iran views the name as a core part of its national pride. The Persian Gulf has been known by this name since the 16th Century.
The term Arabian Gulf, however, is preferred by many Arab countries in the region and has been used by the U.S. military for years.
American Google Maps currently lists it as the “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf),” and Apple Maps calls it the “Persian Gulf.”
The ‘Persian Gulf’ has been a source of national pride for Iran since the 16th Century
Arab nations have pushed for the Persian Gulf to be renamed to reflect their countries. Trump’s remarks do suggest that he is aware of Iran’s possible opposition to changing the name—given its support to retain the name.
In 2012, the government of Iran had threatened to sue Google Maps over a decision to not label the body of water on all its maps.
In 2017, Trump and Iran’s then president, Hassan Rouhani, got into a spat after Trump used the term “Arabian Gulf” for the first time.
In the video below, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, former Shah of Iran, speaks to 60 Minutes about the Persian Gulf in 1974
Rouhani suggested Trump needed to “study geography.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote online at the time: “Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too.”
This time around, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wrote: “In contrast, 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.
“While 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,” he warned.
Image credits: araghchi
The most Trump can do is change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he cannot dictate what the rest of the world calls it.
Earlier this year, Trump had signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This decision led to a dispute with Associated Press, which refused to adopt the new name—after which Trump barred the news agency from the White House.
The latest move comes as the U.S. continues delicate talks with Iran on a new nuclear agreement. Trump said Wednesday he had not yet decided whether Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium as part of the new agreement.
There is now potential for the negotiations to resume in Oman, various reports said. Iran insists on its right to enrich uranium, a point it has long considered non-negotiable. However, the U.S. is concerned that this could provide Tehran with a pathway to develop nuclear weapons.
The U.S. and Iran are in talks on a new nuclear deal
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images