Two US officials say that next week, when President Donald Trump is in Saudi Arabia, he will say that the United States will now call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia.

Some Arab countries want to change the name of the sea near Iran, but Iran wants to keep its old name for it.

Two officials from the U.S. talked to The Associated Press on Tuesday. They did not want their names used because they were talking about a private topic. The White House and National Security Council did not answer when asked for their opinion.

People have called the Persian Gulf by that name for a long time, since the 1500s. But in many countries in the Middle East, people often use the names "Gulf of Arabia" or "Arabian Gulf." In 2012, the government of Iran, which used to be called Persia, was angry with Google. This was because Google's maps did not show any name for this sea. Iran even said they might take Google to court.

In the U.S., Google Maps shows the water as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps just calls it the Persian Gulf.

For many years, the U.S. military has called the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf in their official statements and pictures.

For some Iranians who are proud of their country's long history, the name of the sea is a sensitive topic.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, wrote online that people knew Trump would be friends with the person who paid the most money. He said that now we know his land is also for sale.

On Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister talked about the names of the seas in the Middle East. He said the names do not mean one country owns the water. He said they show respect for the history and culture that everyone shares.

Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media that changing the old name of the Persian Gulf for political reasons shows unfriendliness to Iran and its people, and he strongly said he is against it.

Any quick decision about this will not be accepted or have any real effect. It will only make all Iranians everywhere very angry.

Trump can use a different name for official things in the U.S., but he cannot tell other countries what to call it.

The International Hydrographic Organization helps make sure maps of the world's seas and oceans are the same everywhere. They also give names to some of these waters. Sometimes, different countries use different names for the same place.

Trump will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He wants their money for the U.S. and their help with problems in the Middle East, like the war in Gaza and Iran's nuclear plans.

The U.S. president's own companies also have important money connections with these countries, and he still owns them while he is president.

This change happened a few months after Trump said the U.S. would call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

The Associated Press sued the Trump government because their reporters could not go to most events. The news group did not want to call the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America'. The president had told them to do this.

A judge chosen by President Trump said last month that the AP can choose its words freely. The government cannot punish them for this. The judge said the AP must be allowed back.