Persian Gulf naming dispute

Geographic naming dispute

Satellite imagery of the Persian Gulf, 2007 (NASA)[1]

The Persian Gulf naming dispute concerns the gulf known historically and internationally as the Persian Gulf,[2][3] after Iran (historically known as Persia or Persis and the homeland of the Persian people) became involved in an ongoing naming dispute.

The name "Persian Gulf" has been in use since at least the 10th century by Arab historians and geographers.[4] In connection with the emergence of pan-Arabism and Arab nationalism in the 1960s, the usage of "Arabian Gulf" (Arabic: الخليج العربي) as well as just "Gulf" increased.[5]

The body of water is internationally recognized as the Persian Gulf.[6][7][8] Arab governments refer to it as the "Arabian Gulf" or "The Gulf".[9][10] The name "Gulf of Iran (Persian Gulf)" is used by the International Hydrographic Organization, which seeks to standardise the names of the world's bodies of water.[11]

## History

[edit]

An official letter from Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser to a Bahraini government official; the name "Persian Gulf" (الخليج الفارسي) has been used. The document dates before the initiation of Nasser's pan-Arabist policies.[12]

This body of water was referred to as the Persian Gulf by Arab historians and geographers, including the Melkite Arabic-speaking historian Agapius, writing in the 10th century.[13][4]

According to authors Philip L. Kohl, Mara Kozelsky, and Nachman Ben-Yehuda in their work Selective Remembrances, Sir Charles Belgrave (British adviser to the ruler of Bahrain) was "the first westerner to use and advocate the name 'Arabian gulf', first in the journal Soat al-Bahrain (Voice of Bahrain) in 1955."[14] Mahan Abedin of The Jamestown Foundation agrees with this, noting that Arab countries used the term "Persian Gulf" until the 1960s.[15][16][17][18] However, with the rise of Arab nationalism during that decade, some Arab countries, including the ones bordering the Gulf, adopted widespread use of the term الخليج العربي (al-Khalīj al-ʻArabī; Arab Gulf or Arabian Gulf) to refer to this waterway. Teymoor Nabili (a senior presenter for Al Jazeera English) said "ironically, among the major drivers of the movement for change were Arab perceptions that Iran, driven by Washington, had supported Israel during the Arab-Israeli war of 1973".[19]

Gerard Mercator's map of 1595 showing Persian Gulf terminology (Mare di Mesendin formerly Persicus sinus), and Sinus Arabicus (Red Sea).

Map by Abraham Ortelius, dated 1580 using the term "Persicus" (MAR MESENDIN (formerly Sinus Persicus)).

The capture of Baghdad by the Ottoman Empire in 1534 gave Turkey access to the Indian Ocean via the port of Basra at the head of the Persian Gulf. This coincided with the early mapmaking efforts of Gerard Mercator, whose 1541 terrestrial globe attempts to give the most up-to-date information, naming the gulf Sinus Persicus, nunc Mare de Balsera ("Persian Gulf, now Sea of Basra").[20] However, on his world map of 1569, the name is changed to Mare di Mesendin (after the peninsula Ra's Musandam, in modern-day Oman),[21] while his rival Abraham Ortelius, for the world atlas of 1570, opted for Mare El Catif, olim Sinus Persicus (after the Arabian port of Al Qatif), but labelled the entrance to the gulf – the present-day Strait of Hormuz – as Basora Fretum (Strait of Basra).[22] Among all this confusion, the old name gradually reasserted itself in the 17th century, but Turkey still uses the name "Gulf of Basra" (Basra Körfezi)[23] in Turkish today.

Following British attempts to establish control over the seaway in the late 1830s, the Times Journal, published in London in 1840, referred to the Persian Gulf as the "Britain Sea", but this name was never used in any other context.[24]

## Proposed alternatives

[edit]

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The matter remains very contentious as the competing naming conventions are supported by certain governments in internal literature, but also in dealings with other states and international organizations. Some parties use terms like "The Gulf" or the "Arabo-Persian Gulf". Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 some people in Islamic groups suggested the use of "Islamic Gulf" or "Muslim Gulf".[25] The originator of the term Islamic Gulf is not known, while some people suggest that prominent figures of the early years of the Islamic republic including Ruhollah Khomeini, Mehdi Bazargan, and Sadegh Khalkhali may have supported the idea. During his May 1979 visit to the UAE, Khalkhali suggested the term "Muslim Gulf".[25] The idea was quickly abandoned after Iran was invaded by its predominantly Muslim neighbor, Iraq, in the Iran-Iraq War.

In Arab countries the terms "Gulf" and "Arabian Gulf" are preferred:

> The "Gulf" refers to the body of water known as the Arabian Gulf in GCC countries, or the Persian Gulf as referred to in many other places.

— List of GCC countries, Gulf countries[26]

### Iranian viewpoint

[edit]

American journalist Mike Wallace interviews Iranian king Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1974 for CBS's 60 Minutes. Pahlavi uses the name "Persian Gulf" in the video.

Iran only uses the term "Persian Gulf" and does not usually recognize the naming when it is referred to as "Arabian Gulf" or just the "Gulf" or by any other alternative.[27]

In a 1974 interview by Mike Wallace in 60 Minutes, the last Shah of Iran himself preferred the term "Persian Gulf" while talking to Wallace.[28] In February 2010 Iran threatened to ban from its airspace foreign airlines, especially those from the Gulf region, who did not use the term "Persian Gulf".[29][30][31] In 2011, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a speech to the United Nations General Assembly during which he said that the only correct name of the sea between Iran and the Arabian peninsula was the Persian Gulf, and he dismissed the use of any other names as "illegitimate and void".[32]

In 2012 the Iranian government threatened to sue Google over its decision not to label the gulf with any name, warning it would face "serious damages" if it does not denote the area as the Persian Gulf.[33]

Iran officially designated 30 April as National Persian Gulf Day. The date coincides with the anniversary of Abbas I of Persia's successful military campaign when the Portuguese navy was driven out of the Strait of Hormuz in the Capture of Ormuz (1622). The decision was taken by the High Council of Cultural Revolution, presided over by former President Mohammad Khatami, noting that the campaign launched in 2009 by certain Arab states to rename the Persian Gulf was the driver behind the decision.[34][35] The Iranian postal authority issued a series of stamps commemorating the day.[36][37][citation needed]

### Arab viewpoints

[edit]

Jamal Abdel Nasser mentioning the name "Persian Gulf" in Arabic in a speech.

Former Egyptian President Jamal Abdel Nasser using the name "Persian Gulf"
Arabic:من المحیط الاطلسی الی الخلیج الفارسی
English:From the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf[38]

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Gulf Cooperation Council states prefer the use of the term "Arabian Gulf".[39]

Shāri' al-Khalīj al-Fārsī (Arabic: شارع الخليج الفارسي), the Persian Gulf Street in Cairo, Egypt A historical map of the Persian Gulf in Saeed Al Maktoum House, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The word "Persian" is erased from the phrase "Persian Gulf".

Abdel Khaleq al-Janabi, a Saudi Arabian historian, said "It's this name [Persian Gulf] that has been retained by history books and Arab historians, like Ibn Khaldoun and Ibn al Athir. It's also in treaties signed between the governors of the gulf and the British who dominated the region from the beginning of the 20th century ... From a scientific and historical point of view, it has been called the Persian Gulf since Alexander the Great". He said that it was "without foundation" to claim the Romans named it "Arabian Gulf". "Things didn't change until Nasser came to power and the rise of Arab nationalism. The Arabs then began to use the name 'Arabian Gulf'", he added.[40]

In an interview with Al Wasat, Bahraini writer Hussain al-Baharna said one of the reasons for the dispute over naming the "Arabian Gulf as the Persian Gulf" is that the Red Sea was referred to as at the time of negotiations over the ownership of Bahrain "that Arabian Gulf", and it was not then possible to call what had since become the Arab Gulf region by the name "Arabian Gulf", it was called the "Persian Gulf" at that time.[41] In recent decades, prominent scholars and political and religious leaders, including Professor Abdelhadi Tazi, Ahmad al-Saraf, Abdelilah Benkirane (Prime Minister of Morocco from 2011 to 2017), Abdul Monem Saeed, Abdul Khaliq al-Janabi, Qaradawi, and Gen. Majdi Omar, Former First Deputy of the Egyptian National Defense Council have supported the use of "Persian Gulf" and believe there is a lack of justification for changing the name. [42]

## International viewpoints

[edit]

### United Nations

[edit]

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.[43]

### International Hydrographic Organization

[edit]

The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), an international body for provision of hydrographic information for worldwide marine navigation and other purposes, uses the name "Gulf of Iran (Persian Gulf)" for this body of water, in the third edition of its standard S-23 (Limits of Oceans and Seas), section 41, published in 1953.[44] The draft of the fourth edition, published in 2002, uses the same name.[45]

### United States

[edit]

American president Barack Obama using the name "Persian Gulf" as part of his "Nowruz Message to the Iranian People" in 2015.[46]

The United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency GEOnet Names Server (GNS) is the "official repository of standard spellings of all foreign place names" sanctioned by the Board of Geographical Names (BGN).[47] The GNS lists "Persian Gulf" as the Conventional name, along with 16 Variant names in different languages, such as "Gulf of Iran", "Gulf of Ajam", "Gulf of Basra", "Arabian Gulf", "Persian-Arabian Gulf", "Gulf of Fars", and "Farsi Gulf".[48]

In Persian Gulf States Country Studies published in 1993 by the Federal Research Division of the U.S. Library of Congress, the authors follow the practise of the BGN by using "Persian Gulf" while acknowledging in the preface that the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain "officially reject the use of the term Persian Gulf—as do other Arab governments—and refer to that body of water as the Arabian Gulf".[49]

Since about 1991, due to increased cooperation with Arab states of the Persian Gulf, various branches of the United States armed forces have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area to follow local conventions ("Persian Gulf" is still used in official publications and websites).[50] The practice of the United States Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is to use "Arabian Gulf":

> It is commonly understood to be a friendly gesture of solidarity and support for our host nation of Bahrain and our other Gulf Cooperation Council partners in the region to use the term they prefer

— Spokesman for the United States Fifth Fleet, [51]

In May 2025, during the 2025 U.S.–Iran negotiations and ahead of his visit to the Middle East that month, Donald Trump contemplated U.S. federal agencies using "Arabian Gulf" or "Gulf of Arabia"[52] but abandoned the proposal due to Iranian opposition.[53][54][55]

### Atlases and other media

[edit]

The National Geographic Society uses the name Persian Gulf to refer to this body of water. In 2004, the society published a new edition of its National Geographic Atlas of the World using the term "Arabian Gulf" as an alternative name (in smaller type and in parentheses) for "Persian Gulf". This resulted in heavy protests by many Iranians, especially the Internet user community and the Iranology Academy,[56] which led to the Iranian government acting on the issue and banning the distribution of the society's publications in Iran. On 30 December 2004, the society reversed its decision and published an Atlas Update, removing the parenthetical reference and adding a note: "Historically and most commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is referred to by some as the Arabian Gulf." The June 2010 Nation Geographic Style Manual states: "The internationally accepted name is Persia Gulf, although Arab countries call the body of water the Arabian Gulf. Where scale permits, National Geographic maps include a map note about the Arabian Gulf. If Arabian Gulf is used in text, it should be explained."[57]

The 2000 AP Stylebook elaborates: Persian Gulf is the "long-established name" and the best choice. "Some Arab nations call it the Arabian Gulf. Use Arabian Gulf only in direct quotations and explain in the text that the body of water is more commonly known as the Persian Gulf."

In 2004, the Persian Gulf-naming dispute was the subject of a Google bomb by an Iranian blogger named Pendar Yousefi.[58][59][60] This was the combined efforts of hundreds of bloggers, webmasters and Persian forums who pointed links with the word Arabian Gulf to a spoof error page.[60]

Some atlases and media outlets have taken to referring to "The Gulf" without any adjectival qualification. This usage is followed by the BBC and The Times Atlas of the World. Iran does not consider this an impartial usage and views it as an active contribution to abandonment of the historical name. In June 2006, Iran banned the sale of The Economist for the above reason, after a map in the magazine labeled the Persian Gulf as "The Gulf".[61] The magazine repeated this act in its 18 February 2010 article titled "Iraq, Iran and the Politics of Oil: Crude Diplomacy". It also used the name "Arabian Gulf" in the same article.

Google had previously put both Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf on its Google Maps. After May 2012, it removed both names from the body of water stating that it does not name every place in the world and that it did not want to take a political stance. Iranians complained about the change and started a Twitter campaign asking "Where's the Persian Gulf?".[62] Since 2016, Google Maps has displayed both Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf on the body of water and shows "either Arabian or Persian Gulf to local users, depending on geolocation and language settings."[63] Google Earth shows both names, unless viewed through a server from a Gulf Coast Arab country, in which case it labels it simply "Arabian Gulf".

### Sporting bodies

[edit]

A planned second Islamic Solidarity Games in Iran, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009, and later rescheduled for April 2010, was canceled when the Arab World and Iran could not agree over the use of the term "Persian Gulf" in logos and medals for the Games.[64][65]

In association football, the top tier of the Iranian football league system was named the Persian Gulf Cup in August 2006 to promote the Persian naming.[66] The Iran national football team does not take part in the Arabian Gulf Cup for national teams surrounding the waters.[67] The Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation was founded in 2016 for the competing nations of the Arabian Gulf Cup.

The top football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was founded in 1973 as the UAE Football League. In 2007, the name was changed to UAE Pro-League. Starting from the 2013–14 season the name was changed to UAE Arabian Gulf League, as well as their League Cup and Super Cup competitions.[68] The name change has been viewed as a revival of the Persian Gulf naming dispute[69] with Iran accusing the United Arab Emirates of racism,[70][71] and the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran barring the transfer of Javad Nekounam to a UAE club.[72]

## Gallery

[edit]

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### Persian Gulf or equivalent

[edit]

* 19th Century reconstruction of 194 BC Eratosthenes' map, Denoting Persian Gulf

* An Early world map by Pomponius Mela 43 AD. Red Sea named Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf and Oman Sea named Persian Sea.

* Map VI from Ptolemy's "Cosmographia" showing Sinus Persicus (Persian Gulf) and Sinus Arabicus (Red Sea), reconstruction from 1467

* Regional map showing the word Bahr Fars, ("Persian Sea") in Arabic, from the 9th century text Al-aqalim by the Persian geographer Istakhri

* Giacomo Gastaldi's map circa 1548 is denoted by cartographic historian Gerald Tibbetts as the first "modern" map of the area, denoting Golpho de Persia

* Persia Sive Sophorum regnum Old map Persia Merian 1638

* Location of Persian gulf and Arabian gulf by Joannes Janssonius, Amsterdam, 1640

* 1893 Ottoman map calling it "Khaleej Al-Ajam"

* A Saudi ARAMCO map from 1952 using the term "Persian Gulf" (الخليج الفارسي).

### Other names

[edit]

* 1600 map calling it "Gulf of Basra" or "Sea of Qatif"

* 1626 map calling it "Sea of Qatif", or the Arabian Gulf. This map also names the Red Sea the Arabian Gulf

* Jan Jansson's map, 17th century (MARE ELCATIF, formerly SINUS PERSICUS).

* The Ottoman Cedid Atlas of 1803 calling it the Gulf of Basra

## See also

[edit]

* Geography portal
* Bahrain portal
* Iran portal
* Iraq portal
* Kuwait portal
* Oman portal
* Saudi Arabia portal
* United Arab Emirates portal

* Achaemenid inscription in the Kharg Island
* Gulf Cooperation Council
* Macedonia naming dispute
* Sea of Japan naming dispute
* Gulf of Mexico naming controversy
* Terminology section in the Gulf War article
* Territorial disputes in the Persian Gulf

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Persian Gulf". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2024. "Clouds of tan, blue, and green swirl fancifully along the shores of the Persian Gulf in this photo-like image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on November 28, 2007."
2. ^ "Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth". Tehran Times. 29 April 2020.
3. ^ Bosworth, C. Edmund (1980). "The Nomenclature of the Persian Gulf". In Cottrell, Alvin J. (ed.). The Persian Gulf States: A General Survey. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xvii–xxxvi. "Not until the early 1960s does a major new development occur with the adoption by the Arab states bordering on the Gulf of the expression al-Khalij al-Arabi as a weapon in the psychological war with Iran for political influence in the Gulf; but the story of these events belongs to a subsequent chapter on modern political and diplomatic history of the Gulf. (p. xxxiii.)"
4. ^ a b Documents on the Persian Gulf's name Dr.Mohammad Ajam
5. ^ Eilts, Hermann F. (Autumn 1980). "Security Considerations in the Persian Gulf". International Security. Vol. 5, No. 2. pp. 79–113.
6. ^ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "The World Fact Book". Retrieved 4 December 2010.
7. ^ nationsonline.org. "Political Map of Iran". Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
8. ^ United Nations. "United Nations Cartographic Section (Middle East Map)". Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
9. ^ Niusha Boghrati, Omission of 'Persian Gulf' Name Angers Iran Archived 2007-01-09 at the Wayback Machine, World Press.com, 28 December 2006
10. ^ Zraick, Karen (12 January 2016). "Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
11. ^ "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1953. p. 21\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
12. ^ http://www.irdc.ir/fa/content/12485/print.aspx Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine IRDC
13. ^ "Agapius on a Boat". roger-pearse.com. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
14. ^ Kohl, Philip L.; Mara Kozelsky; Nachman Ben-Yehuda (2007). Selective Remembrances: Archaeology in the Construction, Commemoration, and Consecration of National Pasts. University of Chicago Press. p. 225\. ISBN 978-0-226-45059-9.
15. ^ Alai, Cyrus (7 February 2012) [15 December 2000]. "Geography iv. Cartography of Persia". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 1 February 2012. "After World War II, some circles decided to change the name of the Persian Gulf to Arabian Gulf. Although the government of Persia opposed the move vehemently, in some editions of a few maps and atlases the term Persian was omitted, leaving only 'The Gulf' (e.g., The Times Atlas, p. 39), while the historical term Persian Gulf mostly remained intact, as in the National Geographic Atlas. (p. 77; fig. 7.)"
16. ^ Milani, Mohsen M. (30 March 2012) [15 December 2006]. "Iraq vi. Pahlavi Period, 1921–79". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 1 February 2012. "...Iraqi troops began to engage their Iranian counterparts in border skirmishes. Iraq once again called for 'liberation' of the Khuzestan province from 'Persian occupiers,' and began to use the term 'Arabian Gulf,' rather than Persian Gulf...."
17. ^ "Picture of Gamal Abdel Nasser's Handwritten Letter, Using the Term Persian Gulf". Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
18. ^ Picture of 1952 Saudi Arabian ARAMCO map using the name Persian Gulf
19. ^ Teymoor Nabili (12 December 2010). "Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf?". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
20. ^ Mercator, Gerard. "Terrestrial Globe, Arabian Section" (1541) via Harvard University.
21. ^ Mercator, Gerard. "Mercator Projection World Map" (1569) via wilhelmkruecken.de.
22. ^ Ortelius, Abraham. "Map of Turkish Empire" Archived 3 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine (1570) via cartographicarts.com.
23. ^ Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism history page. www.kultur.gov.tr.
24. ^ United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names "Historical, Geographical and Legal Validity of the Name 'Persian Gulf'". (April 2006).
25. ^ a b Jubin M. Goodarzi (2006). Syria and Iran: Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris. pp. 29, 297. ISBN 978-1-84511-127-4. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
26. ^ "DubaiFAQs UAE information guide". DubaiFAQs UAE information guide. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
27. ^ "Name Game Stokes U.S.–Iranian Tensions". CNN. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
28. ^ Shah of Persia (February 1974). "60 Minutes" (Interview). Interviewed by Mike Wallace. CBS.
29. ^ Spencer, Richard (23 February 2010). "Iran Threatens Flight Ban over 'Persian' Gulf Name Row". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
30. ^ "Iran: Airlines Must Say 'Persian Gulf' Or Face Airspace Ban". HuffPost. 22 February 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
31. ^ "Iran To Arabs: It's 'Persian Gulf' Not 'Arabian Gulf' – If You Call It 'Arabian Gulf', You're Toast". Business Insider. 22 February 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
32. ^ "Iran (Islamic Republic of) H. E. Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President". UN General Assembly General Debate of the 66th Session. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
33. ^ "Iran 'to sue Google' over Gulf". BBC News. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
34. ^ "Iran Names Persian Gulf National Day". Archived 1 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
35. ^ "Iranians To Observe Persian Gulf Day". Tehran Times. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
36. ^ "Introducing a book: Documents on the Persian Gulf's name the eternal heritage of ancient time, part 2". japan.mfa.gov.ir. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
37. ^ "Persian Gulf stamps", Retrieved 26 February 2009.
38. ^ Gamal Abdel Nasser (20 July 1959). "Where I Stand and Why". LIFE. Vol. 47, no. 3\. p. 98.
39. ^ Henderson, Simon (Spring 2004). "Understanding the Gulf States". The Washington Institute. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
40. ^ "Web wrangle: Persian or Arabian Gulf?". France 24. 16 June 2010. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
41. ^ (in Arabic) Ali Najeeb (19 June 2008). "البحرين بين الاستقلال وتبعيتها لفارس"". Al Wasat (in Persian). 19 June 2008.
42. ^ "Introducing a Book and Atlas". japan.mfa.gov.ir.
43. ^ Historical, Geographical and Legal Validity of the Name: PERSIAN GULF. Working Paper No. 61, United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, United Nations. New York, 2006.
44. ^ "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd Edition" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1953. p. 21\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
45. ^ "Chapter 5 | Indian Ocean and its subdivisions". Limits of Oceans and Seas, Draft 4th Edition. International Hydrographic Organization. 2002. p. 5-9. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
46. ^ President Obama’s Nowruz Message to the Iranian People (Archived 4 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine) at the White House official website. Retrieved: 4 August 2016. website.
47. ^ "NGA: GNS Home". Earth-info.nga.mil. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
48. ^ "GeoNames Search". geonames.nga.mil. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014.
49. ^ "Persian Gulf States Country Studies" (PDF). American Memory from the Library of Congress. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
50. ^ "Navy Causes Controversy by Changing 'Persian Gulf' to 'Arabian Gulf'". AllGov.com. 9 December 2010.
51. ^ Zraick, Karen (12 January 2016). "Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
52. ^ "Trump plans to announce that the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials say". AP News. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
53. ^ Jacobs, Jennifer (7 May 2025). "Trump hasn't decided whether to call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf. "I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings," he said in Oval". X (Twitter). Retrieved 7 May 2025.
54. ^ Treene, Alayna (7 May 2025). "Trump planning to change how US refers to Persian Gulf". CNN. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
55. ^ Waldenberg, Samantha (13 May 2025). "Trump says "disaster" is unfolding in Persian Gulf before recalling "they wanted" to name it "Gulf of Iran"". CNN. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
56. ^ "Iranologists condemn deliberate distortion of Persian Gulf's name". Payvand. 24 December 2004. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
57. ^ Levinson, Martin H. (July 2011). "Mapping the Persian Guld Naming Dispute". ETC: A Review of General Semantics. 68 (3). Institute of General Semantics: 279–287\. JSTOR 42579127.
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60. ^ a b [dead link] "The Persian Gulf – The Arabian Gulf Google Bomb" Archived 20 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
61. ^ "Louvre's 'Gulf' Move Draws Iranian Ire". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
62. ^ Sebastian Usher (4 May 2012). "Google Map's missing Gulf angers Iranians". BBC News. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
63. ^ Zraick, Karen (12 January 2016). "Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
64. ^ Ap, Riyadh (17 January 2010). "Islamic Solidarity Games Cancelled after Gulf Row Divides Nations". Associated Press (via The Guardian). Retrieved 18 January 2010.
65. ^ Staff (18 January 2010). "Islamic Solidarity Games Cancelled over Gulf Dispute". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
66. ^ Montague, James (2008). When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone. Mainstream Publishing. p. 57\. ISBN 978-1-84596-369-9.
67. ^ Montague, James (2008). When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone. Mainstream Publishing. p. 113\. ISBN 978-1-84596-369-9.
68. ^ "New League name announced by H.E. Mohammed Thani Murshed Al Romaithi". Pro League Committee. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
69. ^ James M. Dorsey (13 September 2011). "MIDEAST — Gulf rivalry between Iran, UAE transfered [sic] to the football pitch". Hurriyetdailynews.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
70. ^ Category: Asia (29 May 2013). "Iran accuses UAE of racism in renaming Pro League to the Arabian Gulf League". Inside World Football. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
71. ^ persiangulfstudies.com. "Persian Gulf Studies Center". Persiangulfstudies.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
72. ^ "Iran bars captain's UAE transfer over Gulf name". Fox News. Retrieved 23 September 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* "Historical, Geographical and Legal Validity of the name: Persian Gulf", Iranian delegation working paper for the 23rd Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, April 2006
* "Conspiracy to change a heritage name "The Persian Gulf"". V. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
* Information regarding a book, Documents on the Persian Gulf’s name the eternal heritage of ancient time, by Dr.M.Ajam.
* PERSIAN GULF IN ANTIQUITY[usurped] (archived from the original[usurped] on 2007-04-04), Encyclopedia Iranica
* "Factsheet on the Legal and Historical Usage of the "Persian Gulf"" (PDF). Iranian Studies Group at MIT. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2011.
* A repository of Historical maps
* "Iran bans The Economist over map". The Jerusalem Post. 14 June 2006. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011.
* "Goods labelled with "Arabian Gulf" banned in Iran". Iran News. 25 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2006.
* "Maps of the Persian Gulf". Flickr.com. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
* Occasional Paper of MEI The Persian Gulf: Validity of the Name Issue No. 22 -Monday, 29 November 2010
* "Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries"—The New York Times
* Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth
* Statement On Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf

* v
* t
* e

Persian Gulf region (Iran and Arab states of the Persian Gulf)

* Persian Gulf naming dispute

Geography|

* Arabian Peninsula
* Arabian-Persian Gulf Coastal Plain Desert
* Arabian plate
* Arabian Sea
* Bahmanshir
* Clarence Strait (Iran)
* Dez River
* Diyala River
* Eurasian plate
* Gulf of Bahrain
* Gulf of Oman
* Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert
* Gulf of Salwah
* Karun
* Khersan River
* Haffar
* Indian Ocean
* Iranian plate
* Makran Trench
* Mesopotamian Marshes
* Persian Gulf Basin
* Persis
* Shadegan Ponds
* Shatt al-Arab
* South Iran Nubo–Sindian desert and semi-desert
* Strait of Hormuz
* Tigris–Euphrates river system
* Zagros fold and thrust belt

Places|

* Al Khaleej Road
* Ferdowsi Gas Field
* Fort Nossa Senhora da Conceição
* Harireh
* Mangrove forests of Qeshm
* Persian Gulf Airport
* Persian Gulf Bridge
* Persian Gulf Complex
* Persian Gulf Highway
* Persian Gulf Residential Complex
* South Pars/North Dome Gas-Condensate field

Islands|

* List of islands in the Persian Gulf
* Bahrain
* Al Dar Island
* Amwaj Islands
* Bahrain Island
* Diyar Al Muharraq
* Hawar Islands
* Jidda Island
* Muharraq Island
* Nabih Saleh
* Sitra
* Umm an Nasan
* Umm as Sabaan
* Iran
* Abadan Island
* Abu Musa
* Buneh Island
* Dara Island
* Farsi Island
* Greater and Lesser Tunbs
* Hendurabi Island
* Hengam Island
* Hormuz Island
* Jazireh-ye Shif
* Kharg Island
* Kish Island
* Larak Island
* Lavan Island
* Minu Island
* Naaz islands
* Nakhiloo Island
* Ommolkorm Island
* Qeshm Island
* Shidvar Island
* Sirri Island
* Kuwait
* Bubiyan Island
* Failaka Island
* Kubbar Island
* Miskan Island
* Qaruh Island
* Umm al Maradim Island
* Umm an Namil Island
* Warbah Island
* Oman
* Quoin Island (Persian Gulf)
* Saudi Arabia
* Arabi Island
* Tarout Island
* United Arab Emirates
* Abu al Abyad
* Al-Aryam Island
* Al Futaisi
* Al Lulu Island
* Al Maryah Island
* Al Reem Island
* Bluewaters Island
* Burj Al Arab
* Dalma
* Das Island
* Dubai Islands
* Jazirat Badiyah
* Marawah Island
* Marsa Al Arab
* Palm Jebel Ali
* Palm Jumeirah
* Saadiyat Island
* Sir Abu Nu'ayr
* Sir Bani Yas
* The World (archipelago)
* Yas Island
* Zirku Island

Ports|

* Khasab
* Liyan
* Bahraini ports
* Mina Salman
* Iranian ports
* Arvandkenar
* Bandar Abbas
* Bandar Deylam
* Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni
* Bandar Khamir
* Bandar Lengeh
* Bandar-e Mahshahr
* Bandar Siraf
* Bushehr
* Chabahar Port
* Dargahan
* Jask
* Kish
* Laft
* Port Emam Khomeyni
* Qeshm
* Suza
* Iraqi ports
* Abu Flous Port
* Al Başrah Oil Terminal
* Al-Faw
* Khor Al Amaya Oil Terminal
* Qatar ports
* Hamad Port
* Saudi ports
* King Abdul Aziz Port
* Tanajib
* Emirati ports
* Al Hamriya Port
* Khor Fakkan
* Port of Jebel Ali
* Port Saeed

History of region|

* Achaemenid inscription in the Kharg Island
* Portuguese conquest of Hormuz
* Ottoman campaign against Hormuz
* Siege of Bahrain
* Anglo-Persian capture of Hormuz
* Action of 1 February 1625
* Battle off Hormuz (1625)
* 1717 Omani invasion of Bahrain
* Afsharid conquests in the Persian Gulf and Oman
* Persian Gulf Residency
* Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain
* Persian Gulf campaign of 1809
* Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf
* Persian Gulf campaign of 1819
* General Maritime Treaty of 1820
* Persian Corridor
* Persian Gulf Command
* Joint Operation Arvand
* Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs
* 1974–75 Shatt al-Arab conflict
* Iran–Iraq War
* Tanker war
* Operation Earnest Will
* Bridgeton incident
* Gulf War
* Gulf War oil spill
* Draining of the Mesopotamian Marshes
* 2007 Iranian arrest of Royal Navy personnel
* 2011–2012 Strait of Hormuz dispute
* 2016 U.S.–Iran naval incident
* May 2019 Gulf of Oman incident
* June 2019 Gulf of Oman incident
* 2019 Iranian shoot-down of American drone
* Territorial disputes in the Persian Gulf

Sports|

* Al-Khaleej FC
* Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation
* Arabian Gulf Cup
* Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union
* Arabian Gulf rugby sevens team
* Arabian Gulf rugby union team
* GCC Club Cup
* GCC Futsal Cup
* Khor Fakkan Club
* Persian Gulf Pro League
* UAE League Cup
* UAE Pro League
* UAE Pro League Committee
* UAE Super Cup

Organizations|

* Airlines
* Gulf Air
* Gulf Aviation
* Gulf Traveller
* Kish Air
* Qeshm Air
* SaudiGulf Airlines
* Akhbar Al Khaleej
* Al Khaleej (newspaper)
* Arabian Gulf Oil Company
* Arabian Gulf University
* Dar Al Khaleej
* Gulf Cooperation Council
* Gulf Daily News
* Gulf Medical University
* Gulf News
* Gulf Today
* Gulf University, Bahrain
* Gulf University for Science and Technology
* Gulftainer
* Khaleej Times
* Khaleeji Commercial Bank
* Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
* Persian Gulf International Education Center
* Persian Gulf Online Organization
* Persian Gulf Studies Center
* Persian Gulf University
* Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies

Wildlife|

* Arabian carpetshark
* Arecaceae
* Avicennia marina
* Blacktip tope
* Booted warbler
* Cheekspot blenny
* Collared kingfisher
* Dugong
* Greater flamingo
* Greater lizardfish
* Hawksbill sea turtle
* Humpback whale
* Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin
* Minke whale
* Omura's whale
* Orca
* Pita skate
* Porites nodifera
* Rhizophora mucronata
* Slender whiting
* Smoothtooth blacktip shark
* Xenisthmus balius

Related|

* 2010 Islamic Solidarity Games
* Arabization
* Bandar (port)
* Bandari music
* Christianity in Eastern Arabia
* Culture of Eastern Arabia
* Gargee'an
* Eastern Arabian cuisine
* Environmental impact of the Gulf wars
* Gulf and Kuwait Medal
* Gulf Arabic
* Bahraini Gulf Arabic
* Bahrani Arabic
* Kuwaiti Arabic
* Gulf Medal
* Gulf rupee
* Gulf War syndrome
* Habbān
* Iran Historical Sovereignty over the Tunbs and BuMusa Islands
* IRIS Khalij-e Fars
* Khaleeji (currency)
* Khalij (album)
* Khaliji (music)
* Kuwaiti Persian
* List of Gulf War military equipment
* Map of Iran in Afsharid Era
* Media coverage of the Gulf War
* Ney-anbān
* Organization of United States Naval Aviation Units in the Gulf War
* Persian Gulf (horse)
* Persian Gulf (missile)
* Persian Gulf Inferno
* Persian Gulf National Day
* Persian Gulf Veterans National Medal
* Piracy in the Persian Gulf
* Project Loghman
* Rationale for the Gulf War
* The National (Abu Dhabi)

* Bahrain
* Iran
* Iraq
* Kuwait
* Oman
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* United Arab Emirates

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