Al-Monitor - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that the Persian Gulf belongs to Iran and not the United States in the latest war of words between the two countries.

“The Americans should know that this waterway is called ‘the Persian Gulf,’” state-controlled Press TV quoted Rouhani as saying. “It is not called ‘the New York Gulf’ or ‘the Washington Gulf.’”

Today is a holiday commemorating the strategic Persian Gulf and its importance to Iran. Rouhani took the opportunity to demand that the United States stop working against Iran amid recent naval tensions in the strategic waterway.

“They should understand the circumstances by taking into consideration both its name and the nation that has preserved it for thousands of years, and stop hatching plots against the Iranian nation,” Press TV quoted Rouhani as telling his Cabinet.

Other Iranian media outlets reported remarks by top Iranian officials today on the Persian Gulf’s significance. Mahmoud Vaezi, Rouhani’s chief of staff, said, “The Persian Gulf is not just a geographical name, it is a symbol of solidarity and pride for Iranians,” according to the state-controlled Al-Alam News Network.

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