President Donald Trump is expected to announce during his visit to Saudi Arabia next week that the United States will officially begin referring to the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf,” according to two federal officials familiar with the matter.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the announcement is expected during Trump’s upcoming trip to the Middle East, which includes scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—three Gulf Arab states that have long advocated for the alternative naming.
The White House and the National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment.
The body of water, located off Iran’s southern coast, has been widely referred to as the Persian Gulf since the 16th century and is recognised by the International Hydrographic Organisation. However, the terms “Arabian Gulf” and “Gulf of Arabia” are commonly used in many Arab countries. Iran has consistently opposed the alternative naming, citing historical and cultural ties.
In 2012, Iran threatened legal action against Google after the company did not label the body of water on its mapping service. Currently, Google Maps in the U.S. uses both terms—“Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)”—while Apple Maps lists only “Persian Gulf.”
The U.S. military has at times referred to the region as the “Arabian Gulf” in official statements and publications, but the upcoming change would represent the first formal shift in terminology by a U.S. administration.
The issue has previously drawn criticism from Iranian leaders. In 2017, when Trump used the term “Arabian Gulf” during his first term, then-President Hassan Rouhani said the president should “study geography.” At the time, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on social media that “Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder” and added, “Now we know his geography is too.”
On Wednesday, Iran’s current foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, responded to reports of the planned change, writing on the social platform X that “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 strongly condemned.”
Araghchi said such efforts have “no legal or geographical validity or effect” and would provoke a strong response from Iranians globally.
While the U.S. government can adopt alternative naming for domestic use, it does not control global naming conventions. The International Hydrographic Organisation is responsible for standardising sea names and is composed of member nations, including the United States.
Trump’s trip to the Middle East is his first foreign visit since returning to office in January 2025. His agenda includes economic and security discussions with Gulf states, addressing regional conflicts, and encouraging foreign investment in the U.S.
The administration’s reported plan follows a similar naming directive earlier this year, when Trump ordered federal agencies to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of the United States.” The Associated Press was later barred from White House events after it declined to use the new terminology.
The AP filed a lawsuit in response. Last month, a federal judge appointed by Trump, Trevor N. McFadden, ruled that the First Amendment protected the outlet’s editorial decisions and ordered its press access reinstated.