US rethinks Gulf rebrand after Iran's outcry

Shafaq News/ US officials are reportedly reviewing a proposal to adopt the term “Arabian Gulf” instead of Persian Gulf, with some sources indicating the idea may have been dropped entirely to avoid diplomatic fallout.

The reconsideration follows a sharp Iranian reaction to President Donald Trump’s push to endorse the alternative name, a move that mirrored a recent change by Google Maps, which briefly displayed the term before reverting under pressure.

The United Nations and most international organizations recognize the name “Persian Gulf,” but the alternative term is favored by some Arab states.

Iran issued an official protest. “The name Persian Gulf is deeply rooted in human history,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. “Attempts to alter it will provoke the wrath of all Iranians, regardless of political orientation, in Iran, the US, and globally.”

President Masoud Pezeshkian also condemned the proposal, describing it as a violation of Iran’s national identity and a deliberate provocation.