Iran, Iraq parliament speakers engage in Gulf naming dispute

The speakers of the Iraqi and Iranian parliaments were engulfed in a toponymic dispute on Thursday over what to call the body of water to the south of both countries.U.S. President Donald Trump may have instigated the disagreement when he posted a map on Tuesday that labeled the Strait of Hormuz as “new U.S. territory.”The following day, Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf published an uncaptioned photo of himself sitting in front of a map with “Persian Gulf” displayed prominently in English and Farsi over his shoulder.The speaker of Iraq’s Council of Representatives, Haibat al-Halbousi, then posted an edited image of himself in a similar pose with “Arabian Gulf” superimposed in Arabic over the waterway.#الخليج_العربي pic.twitter.com/K5VyYudX6YThe two speakers met in Iraq earlier in the week to discuss Iraqi oil exports, which have been hampered by the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. Al-Halbousi is a member of the…
A naming dispute erupted between the parliament speakers of Iran and Iraq regarding the body of water south of their countries. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted an image of himself with a map labeling it the "Persian Gulf." In response, Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi posted an edited image with "Arabian Gulf" superimposed over the waterway. This disagreement follows a meeting between the two speakers earlier in the week to discuss Iraqi oil exports. The term "Persian Gulf" has been historically prevalent, while "Arabian Gulf" gained favor among Arab countries with the rise of independence movements. Iran's consulate in Najaf countered al-Halbousi's post with a 1936 Iraqi government guide using "Persian Gulf," and its Hyderabad consulate mocked the Iraqi speaker, stating, "Every masterpiece of art has its ridiculous echo."
© All rights to the original article belong to the source. Din Online shows a headline, an excerpt and a link only. The objectivity rating is computed automatically and is an estimate only.
Discussion
No comments yet — be the first to comment.