TEHRAN -- Iran’s National 
Center for Cyberspace announced plans to take legal action against Google and other platforms over the “distortion” of the historical name “Persian Gulf” on digital maps.
Hussein Dalirian, the spokesman of the center, condemned the recent use of “fake and fabricated names” in place of “Persian Gulf” on some international platforms, including Google Maps.
He emphasized that the move has sparked strong public backlash in Iran and has even drawn criticism from some international figures, like U.S. president Donald Trump.
Dalirian called the change a “deliberate distortion of a well-established historical and geographical fact,” stating that such actions violate international norms concerning standardized geographical names.
“The name ‘Persian Gulf’ has been used for thousands of years in historical documents, maps, and treaties,” he said, citing the recognition of the term by international bodies such as the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names and UN resolution 715.
He stressed that Iran views the use of alternative names as a direct affront to its national identity and a breach of Article 19(3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Dalirian added that Iran will soon hold a legal coordination meeting with top legal experts and governmental representatives to explore international avenues for legal recourse.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday in remarks in Saudi Arabia that “disaster” is unfolding in the Persian Gulf, before recalling that “they wanted” to name it “Gulf of Iran.”
“There could be no sharper contrast with the path you have pursued on the Arabian Peninsula, than the disaster unfolding right across in the Gulf of Iran. Think of that. They wanted to name it that. I said they’re not going to let them do that,” Trump said while speaking at an U.S.-Saudi investment forum.
He had been planning to have the U.S. begin referring to the gulf as the “Gulf of Arabia” or the “A-r-a-b-i-a-n Gulf.” However, those plans shifted in the days that followed, a source familiar with the talks told CNN, as Iran officials made clear they would vociferously oppose such a move.