President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0is planning to rename another prominent body of water.<\/p>\n The Associated Press<\/a>\u00a0reported on Wednesday, May 7, that two senior White House officials have confirmed that \u2014 during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia\u2014 Trump plans to announce that the U.S. will officially be updating its lexicon to call the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf” or the “Gulf of Arabia.”<\/p>\n The body of water is known by its Arabian name in many Middle Eastern nations, however, the “Persian Gulf” moniker is a point of pride for Iran. The country descended from the Persian Empire and was called Persia by Western countries until 1935.<\/p>\n While the U.S. military has referred to the body of water as the Arabian Gulf for years, the Persian Gulf name is more common among American civilians. For users in the United States, Google Maps currently lists the name as “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf),” while Apple Maps solely displays it as the “Persian Gulf.”<\/p>\n Trump first stoked the Persian\/Arabian Gulf debate during his first term as president. He\u00a0provoked ire among top Iranian officials<\/a>\u00a0for not only withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, but also referring to the “Arabian Gulf” as he did so.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone knew Trump\u2019s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too,\u201d Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter at the time.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n On Wednesday, the country’s current foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, took to social media to once again chastise \u2014 and even threaten retaliation against \u2014 the president’s plan to move toward a name change.<\/p>\n “The name Persian Gulf, like many geographical designations, is deeply rooted in human history. Iran has never objected to the use of names such as the Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, or Red Sea. The use of these names does not imply ownership by any particular nation, but rather reflects a shared respect for the collective heritage of humanity,” Araghchi wrote.<\/p>\n “In contrast, 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 firmly condemned. Such biased actions are an affront to all Iranians, regardless of their background or place of residence,” he continued.<\/p>\n Araghchi also included a warning to Trump, writing, “While any short-sighted step in this connection will have no validity or legal or geographical effect, it will only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the U.S. and across the world.”<\/p>\n Early in his second term, Trump barred The Associated Press from the White House due to the outlet’s refusal to comply with his proclamation that\u00a0the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the “Gulf of America.”<\/a><\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>President Donald Trump reportedly plans to rename the Persian Gulf on United States maps.<\/span>Credit :\u00a0<\/span>James Devaney\/GC Images; Apple Maps<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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