From The Hindu Archives, January 22, 1976: Gulf controversy over new name subsides

New Delhi, January 21: There is considerable relief in Delhi that the unfortunate controversy that has developed between Iran and the adjoining Arab countries over the name of the Persian Gulf is being amicably settled without transforming it into a major political dispute.

The Information Ministers of the Arab countries in the Gulf region, who recently met in Abu Dhabi to discuss the arrangements for setting up a local news agency decided to call it the “Arabian Gulf” news service.

The Iranian Government took objection to this attempt to rename the Persian Gulf by giving a neo-chauvinistic overtone to it. But happily the Governments of the concerned Arab countries are reported to have assured Iran that the Ministers meeting acted without instructions.

The Iranian Government had threatened to break off diplomatic relations with these countries if they persisted in their attempts to ignore the facts of both history and geography, and indulge in an act of propaganda which had no real political significance. The issue figured in the Iranian Parliament and the Foreign Minister was able to mollify the feelings of members by disclosing the assurances given by the concerned Arab countries of the Gulf region.