Donald Trump set to cause another naming meltdown by changing the Persian Gulf to one of two anti-Iranian options

President Trump is set to court major tensions on his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia next week, where he's expected to declare that the US will officially recognise the as either the "Arabian Gulf" or the "Gulf of Arabia."

This move comes as Arab countries have been lobbying for the geographical name change of the waterway that skims southern coast.

This has prompted Iran to defend the area's centuries-old name.

US officials leaked the plans to change the name of the body of water under strict anonymity due to the political sensitivity of the issue.

Both White House and the National Security Council have refused to comment on the leak.

The area has been called the Persian Gulf since the 16th century and Iran has historically defended the gulf retaining its name, although in some parts of the Middle East, terms like "" or "Gulf of Arabia" are more common.

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The government of Iran, which now occupies much of the area formerly known as Persia, threatened legal action against in 2012 when the tech giant opted to leave the waters unnamed on its maps.

Google Maps in the US already reads as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf), while Apple Maps opts to refer to it as the Persian Gulf.

While Trump might be looking to officially change the terminology from the American point of view, he can't dictate the words used by international organisations and people around the .

But it does follow a new obsession for the president, who has taken to renaming mountains and army bases in the first five months of his term, even changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

What is Trump doing in Saudi Arabia?

Trump’s itinerary isn't just limited to Saudi Arabia; he's also scheduled to touch down in Doha, , as well as Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, both of which are situated along the key body of water.

What was initially set to be Trump’s first international voyage since his presidential commencement on 20 January, has now become an effort to woo Gulf nations.

Trump is eyeing their fiscal investment stateside and support concerning regional turmoil – from ironing out the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza to reining in Iran’s burgeoning nuclear agenda.

As president, Trump has maintained ownership of his personal businesses, which have significant financial ties to these countries.