Trump to announce US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf: report

President Trump is reportedly planning to announce the U.S. will refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia during his trip to Saudi Arabia next week.

Two U.S. officials told the Associated Press of Trump's plan on condition of anonymity, according to a report Wednesday. The White House and the National Security Council didn't immediately respond to the wire service's requests for comment.

Iran has claimed it has historic ties to the gulf that is off its southern coast, while Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water.

The U.S. military has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases for years.

The Persian Gulf name has been widely used since the 16th century, but “Gulf of Arabia” and “Arabian Gulf” are predominately used in Middle Eastern countries.

The government of Iran, previously called Persia, in 2012 threatened to file a lawsuit against Google for its decision to not label the body of water at all on its maps. In the U.S., Google Maps labels the body of water as the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf), while Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s foreign minister took issue with the possible renaming of the gulf.

"[P]olitically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "Such biased actions are an affront to all Iranians, regardless of their background or place of residence.