The American President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on May 1, 2025. (Credit: Leah Millis/AFP)
President Donald Trump is expected to announce during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia that the United States will begin referring to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, two U.S. officials said, according to a report by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Arab nations have long advocated for changing the name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has consistently upheld its historical connection to the Gulf.
The two officials, who spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity, shared the information on Tuesday. The White House and National Security Council have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The name "Persian Gulf" has been commonly used since the 16th century, although "Gulf of Arabia" and "Arabian Gulf" are widely used in several Middle Eastern countries. In 2012, Iran (formerly Persia) threatened to sue Google for not labeling the body of water on its maps.
Google Maps has already changed the name to Arabian Gulf, while Apple Maps uses only the term Persian Gulf.
For years, the U.S. military has consistently used the term Arabian Gulf in its official statements and imagery.
The name of the body of water has become a sensitive topic for Iranians, who take pride in their country's long-standing history as the Persian Empire. A controversy erupted in 2017 during Trump's first term when he referred to the waterway as the Arabian Gulf. At that time, Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, suggested that Trump should “study geography.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also criticized Trump online, stating, “Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too.”
On Wednesday, Iran’s current foreign minister also commented, emphasizing that the names of Middle Eastern waterways should not suggest ownership by any one nation, but rather reflect a collective respect for humanity’s shared heritage.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump is also set to visit Doha, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which also lie on the body of water.
In February, Trump welcomed the fact that Google Maps had changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," following one of the executive orders he signed shortly after returning to the White House in late January.
The ultra-dominant mapping service now displays "Gulf of America" in the southeastern U.S., on the sea bordered by Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico and Cuba, for users located in the U.S.
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