Can Trump Rename the Persian Gulf?

President Trump recently renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America as part of an executive order to update the U.S. Geographic Names Information System. Google complied with his directive, leading Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to file a lawsuit against the U.S., while the International Hydrographic Organization noted the absence of formal international agreements for maritime area naming. The move has sparked significant backlash globally, including in Iran, where historian Touraj Daryaee argued that Trump’s renaming reflects his aim to undermine Iran’s national identity rather than seek diplomatic negotiation.