The New York Times: Trump's remarks on Persian Gulf united Iranians further

Pars Today – According to the American newspaper The New York Times, Donald Trump’s inappropriate remarks about changing the name of the Persian Gulf have further united the people of Iran.

The New York Times reported: Before his trip to the West Asia region, Trump raised the idea of renaming the "Persian Gulf"—"inappropriate remarks that angered and further united Iran and its people." As reported by Pars Today, citing ISNA, the report noted that the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf have been known by this name since at least 550 BCE, when the Persian dynasty of Cyrus the Great ruled an empire stretching from India to the edges of Western Europe. 

According to the report, ancient Persia is now modern Iran, with its entire southern coastline bordering the Persian Gulf. 

The American newspaper stated, "Even before the Islamic Revolution, Iranian governments have firmly defended 'Persian Gulf' as the only legitimate name for this body of water." It added, "Iranians inside and outside the country share this view, considering the name an essential part of their national and cultural identity. By proposing a name change, Trump easily achieved one thing: displaying the unity of Iranians across all political, ideological, and religious factions. They condemned Trump’s idea in statements and social media posts." 

How did Iranians react? 

Trump’s idea faced condemnation from all Iranians, including those who disagree on other issues. 

Touraj Daryaee, a historian and director of the Center for Persian Studies at the University of California, Irvine, said, "This goes beyond politics—beyond religious and ideological differences. This is about the nation and its history, and it is deeply felt. Does Trump want to negotiate with Iran or erase its national identity?" 

He emphasized that since ancient times, Iranians have referred to their country in terms of "water and land." Two bodies of water—the Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea in the north—are deeply intertwined in Iranian blood as symbols of nationality. 

Ahmad Zeidabadi, a political analyst in Tehran, wrote in a post on X: "Just because of Trump’s wishes and whims, the Gulf of Mexico won’t become the 'Gulf of America,' Canada won’t join the United States, Greenland won’t become U.S. property, and the Persian Gulf won’t take on a fake name." 

Iran’s national football team also reacted by posting a map of the Persian Gulf with the popular hashtag #ForeverPersianGulf on its official Instagram page. 

Even Iranian opposition figures expressed their dissatisfaction. 

What is the history of the Persian Gulf?

The name "Persian Gulf" has been used throughout history in maps and documents, from the time of ancient Iranians whose empire dominated much of the world, to the Greeks and the British. 

Will this affect Iran-U.S. nuclear talks?

Iran and the U.S., mediated by Oman, have held four rounds of indirect talks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. 

Seyyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat and member of the 2015 nuclear negotiation team, said that if Trump changes the name of the Persian Gulf, it would damage the negotiations. 

Mousavian stated, "This only creates distrust."

MG