Former Bahraini Information Minister Sameera Rajab declared that the body of water separating the Arabian Peninsula from Iran must be called the Arabian Gulf—not the Persian Gulf—and argued that Iran can only be confronted through “brute force.”
Rajab said that until the early 20th century, the Gulf and the countries along its shores were Arab. She claimed that Iran occupied the Arab region of Ahwaz, incorporated it into Iranian territory and then promoted the name “Persian Gulf” internationally.
She criticized Arab governments and institutions for accepting Iran’s terminology, noting that even Google Maps uses the name Persian Gulf. Rajab described the willingness to let Iran dictate the name as a defeatist approach.
The former minister also warned against allowing Iran to dominate the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes. She praised Saddam Hussein for fighting Iran and claimed that Iran has historically viewed its Arab neighbors through the lens of expansionism and confrontation.