Hawzah News Agency- The turquoise blue water has been called the Persian Gulf since at least 550 B.C., when the Persian dynasty of Cyrus the Great ruled an empire that spanned from India to the edges of western Europe. Ancient Persia is now modern-day Iran, and its entire southern coast stretches along the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s governments have stoutly defended Persian Gulf as the only legitimate name. So have Iranians inside and outside the country, who view the name as a core part of their national and cultural identity.

By suggesting the name change the Persian Gulf, Trump has seemingly done the impossible: Unite Iranians of all political, ideological and religious factions. They have spoken out in statements and social media posts, condemning Trump’s idea. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names mandates use of the Persian Gulf for official U.S. business.

Trump’s idea drew condemnation from a broad cross-section of Iranians, who are divided on topics.

“It goes beyond politics; it goes beyond religious divisions and ideologies — it’s about the nation and its history, and it has hit a chord'', said the historian Touraj Daryaee, director of the Center for Persian Studies at the University of California-Irvine. “Does Trump want to negotiate with Iran or does he want to take away its national identity?

Mr. Daryaee said that since ancient times Iranians have referred to their nation as “ab o khakh'', which means “water and earth''. Two bodies of water — the Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea to the north — are deeply intertwined in the Iranian psyche as symbols of nationhood.

Ahmad Zeidabadi, a prominent analyst in Tehran, posted on X, “Just because of Trump’s wishes and whims, the Gulf of Mexico will not become the Gulf of America, Canada will not join the United States, Greenland will not become a possession of the United States, and the Persian Gulf will not take on a fake name''.

The Persian Gulf name has been used throughout history, in maps, documents and diplomacy, from the time of the ancient Persians, whose empire dominated the region, to the Greeks and the British.

The United Nations uses the term the Persian Gulf. A 2006 paper by a U.N. working group found unanimity in historical documents on the term, which it said was coined by the Persian king Darioush in the fifth century B.C.

Source: The New York Times