BNE:

President Donald Trump intends to announce during his upcoming Saudi Arabia visit next week that the United States will officially refer to the Persian Gulf as the "Arabian Gulf" or "Gulf of Arabia," according to two US officials speaking anonymously to The Associated Press on May 7.

For Iranians, both pro and against the current Islamic Republic, the "Persian Gulf" is a red line and could destroy chances of a rapprochement between Tehran and Washington on May 10 in Oman, where Iran's foreign minister was expected to meet with Trump envoy Steve Wiktoff.

The potential name change has already provoked a strong reaction from inside Iran, with senior international relations diplomat Reza Nasri warning that "nothing can unite Iranians with diverse political views against America like using a fake name for the Persian Gulf."

Nasri cautioned that if Trump proceeds with the renaming, it would trigger widespread protests from millions of Iranian emigrants both across the United States and at American embassies worldwide.

This is not the first time Trump has sparked controversy over the waterway's name. During his first term in 2017, his use of "Arabian Gulf" prompted Iran's then-president Hassan Rouhani to suggest Trump needed to "study geography."

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