Iran rejects Saudi attempt to change name of Persian Gulf to Arabian Gulf

Larijani Calls Attempts to Change Persian Gulf Name “Worthless” TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that attempts to change the name of the Persian Gulf are worthless and harmful to the region.

“The name of Persian Gulf will not change by worthless attempts, forums and debates. Countries should wisely and intelligently protect regional interests,” Larijani told reporters.

He underlined that such provocative moves will be harmful to the region, and added, “The problem of Arab countries will not be solved by such actions.”

“Arabs pose themselves to useless tests by changing the name of this large Gulf,” Larijani noted.

Saudi Arabia has announced that it would take part in the Islamic Solidarity Games, if only Iran uses the term Arabian Gulf in lieu of the original Persian Gulf.

The Islamic Solidarity Games is a multinational, multi-sport event, governed by the Islamic Solidarity Games Federation (ISSF).

In a meeting held in Tehran, ISSF Secretary General Saleh Gazdar and ISSF Technical Committee Chairman Mohammad Bashir Al-Trabosli asked Iranian officials to remove the term Persian Gulf from all game medals and brochures.

The Iranian parliament speaker further highlighted Tehran’s friendly behavior towards the Arab countries, and stressed that Iran believes in its brotherly ties with the Arab world.

Larijani further called for convergence and solidarity among regional states.

Historians and ancient texts refer to the waterway as the Pars Sea and the Persian Gulf since the Achaemenid Empire was established in Iran.

Although no written document exists pertaining to the time before the Persian Empire, the oral history and culture has always referred to Iran’s southern waters as ‘Jam Sea’, ‘Iran Sea’ and ‘Pars Sea’. Jam or Jamshid has been one of most well-known and revered kings of Ancient Persia.