Iran Issues New Threat Against Google Over Persian Gulf Name

By Amira El-Fekki‎

Iran is planning to take legal action against Google for labeling the Persian Gulf as the "Arabian Gulf" on its map application.

Newsweek reached out to Google and the Iranian Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The friction follows reports that U.S. President Donald Trump was considering renaming the Persian Gulf into the "Arabian Gulf," a decision he has not finalized. Washington and Tehran are facing increasing tensions, with nuclear issues topping diplomatic issues.

The controversy echoes earlier backlash to Trump's rebranding of the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," which drew sharp criticism from Mexican officials, and to Google Maps labeling the western disputed South China Sea as the "West Philippine Sea," a move that provoked strong pushback from Beijing.

What To Know

Iran's National Virtual Space Center intends to take legal action against Google over its misrepresentation of the Persian Gulf's name, its deputy head said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. Mohammad-Sadeq Farahani, NVSC's deputy head of legal and parliamentary affairs, said the possible action stems from a "duty to safeguard Iran's cultural identity."

News suggesting that the United States would begin using the term "Arabian Gulf" or "Gulf of Arabia" instead of "Persian Gulf" emerged ahead of Trump's visit to the Middle East, potentially indicating Trump's courting of his key Gulf allies, who later pledged trillions in U.S. dollar investment deals.

Google Maps may display the alternative name "Arabian Gulf" when users search from the Middle East, but it shows both names when searched for the region from elsewhere. In Gulf countries, "Arabian Gulf" is widely used in Arabic, both popularly and officially.

Google Maps also displays two names for the Gulf of Mexico. Last week, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a lawsuit against Google was filed without providing further details, according to the Associated Press.

What People Are Saying

National Virtual Space Center deputy head Mohammad-Sadeq Farahani, as quoted by IRNA: "We plan to address this issue in three ways: first, by formally protesting to international organizations; second, by pursuing the matter in international courts and tribunals; and finally, by filing a complaint in domestic courts with the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Judiciary."

What Happens Next

Google is launching a new collaboration with location intelligence company Esri that will provide new advanced mapping technology, which users will be able to access by the third quarter of 2025.