United States renames Persian Gulf, causing Iranian uproar
Let's cut to the chase: Iran ain't happy about Trump's plan to rename the Persian Gulf. The latest gossip? It's gonna be called "Arabian Gulf." Yikes! Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi ain't mincing words, calling it a disinformation stunt by those ever-troublesome "eternal warriors."
This comes on the heels of a report by AP that ol' Donald has been thinking about giving the inland sea a new moniker ahead of his Middle East trip. Araghtschi's seen it as a slap in the face to all Iranians, no matter where they hail from.
The Persian Gulf is the badass inland sea between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, with a history that goes back to ancient times. The name's been around since at least the 16th century and has been used in the big leagues - ain't no international documents that ignore it. Some Arab states, though, are gunning for a rename to "Arabian Gulf." Seems like a politically charged smackdown to Tehran.
Experts' Take on Bad Timing
Folks from all corners of the Iranian political spectrum, from government supporters to exile activists, are showing some rare unity in their criticism of a potential US renewal. Experts are warning that the timing is terrible, given the nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Abdolrasool Divsallar put it plainly: it'll wreck the nuclear negotiations and could even ruffle some unexpected Iranian feathers.
Trump ain't stranger to causing a geographical tear-up: he's already ordered a name change for the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." AP and the White House are butting heads over it, with the news agency sticking to the old name and being locked out of the US government's press pool for their trouble.
Source: ntv.de, raf/dpa
- USA
- Iran
- Nuclear Program
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- Tehran
Enrichment Data:Iran opposes the proposed renaming of the Persian Gulf due to several historical, political, and national security reasons. Changes to the name are perceived as an affront to Iran's national identity, a hostile political maneuver, and a potential threat to its territorial claims and diplomatic efforts. Analysts and experts warn that a name change could have severe consequences, including an impact on the nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington and increased regional tensions.
[1] Al Jazeera. (2018, October 10). Top Iranian military official: US ' seeking to splinter' nation. Al Jazeera English. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/iran-top-military-official-us-seeking-split-nation-181010092018462.html
[2] Talebizadeh, A. (2018, May 23). US rebranding of Persian Gulf as 'Arabian Gulf' a sign of hostility against Iran. Mehr News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.mehrnews.com/news/424792/%D9%88%D9%88%E2%80%8C-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%88%DA%A9%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B2%D9%82%D8%AD-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D9%82-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7
[3] Radio Farda. (2018, October 10). Renaming Persian Gulf 'Arabian Gulf' Not Acceptable, Says Iranian FM. Radio Farda. Retrieved from https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-foreign-minister-persian-gulf-name/29840130.html
[4] Reuters. (2018, May 8). Iran says Trump's remarks on Persian Gulf name an insult to all Iranians. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-trump-gulf/iran-says-trump-s-remarks-on-persian-gulf-name-an-insult-to-all-iranians-idUSKCN1IL22J
[5] Al Arabiya English. (2017, March 8). Arab nations to change the name of the Persian Gulf. Al Arabiya English. Retrieved from https://english.alarabiya.net/en/persian-gulf/2017/03/08/Arab-nations-to-change-the-name-of-the-Persian-Gulf.html
The community policy forbids any action that can potentially escalate regional tensions, yet Trump's plan to rename the Persian Gulf to 'Arabian Gulf' has scholars and experts expressing concerns. This renaming plan, as reported by AP, has been met with strong opposition by Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi, who perceives it as a hostile political maneuver. Meanwhile, Iranian government supporters and exile activists have shown unusual unity in their criticism of the potential US renewal of the name change, suggesting it may negatively impact the ongoing nuclear negotiations and raise further tensions. Historically, the Persian Gulf has been a point of pride for Iran, and any alteration to its name may be seen as an affront to the nation's identity.
