Iranian lawmakers have finally responded to a desire from US President Donald Trump to rename the Gulf of Persia, following on from previous executive orders which altered the Gulf of Mexico and Denali.
While much of Donald Trump's second term as president has been dominated by the actions of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, he's certainly made an effort to craft headlines himself.
His controversial tariffs, announced in what Trump branded 'Liberation Day' for Americans, crashed the global markets and threatened the future of key industries in the United States, but the absurdity of his second term hasn't stopped there.
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Perhaps one of Trump's strangest actions across the first few months was his demand that both the Gulf of Mexico and Alaskan mountain Denali be renamed to the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley respectively.
As per regulations these were changed for certain countries worldwide when viewing the areas on programs like Google Maps, but it's clear that the strange move has only increased Trump's appetite for power-oriented name changes.
Recently he sparked outrage after announcing plans to rename the Gulf of Persia - a key area sandwiched between countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates - to the 'Gulf of Arabia' or 'Arabian Gulf'.
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Trump plans to enact the change during an upcoming trip to Saudi Arbia, which the name-change is clearly inspired by, but his efforts have not received kindly by Iranian officials.
As reported by the Iranian Front Page, lawmakers in Iran have vehemently opposed Trump's plans to alter the Gulf of Persia, citing the historical and political importance of its title.
Addressing the Iranian parliament, Ahmad Naderi outlined the country's position in response to Trump's strange demands:
"The Persian Gulf and its geopolitics are God-given. It was not earned through invasion or military campaigns - this is our homeland and our house," Naderi proclaimed from the official statement.
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"Had you spent more time reading than gambling, you might have understood that this name was not given by gold, force, deceit, or bribery - it was bestowed by history," the statement boldly continues. "Mr Gambler, we stand not only on the right side of history, but also in the right place on the map of the world."
This position has also been supported by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who argues that the Gulf of Persia's name does "not imply ownership by any particular nation, but rather reflects a shared respect for the collective heritage of humanity.
"The name Persian Gulf, like many geographical designations, is deeply rooted in human history," Araghchi illustrates. "Iran has never objected to the use of names such as the Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, or Red Sea."
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In terms of whether Trump has the power to actually change the Persian Gulf's name, the New York Times suggests it would likely be a similar situation to the aforementioned Gulf of America, where the name would be changed in the US but other countries wouldn't have to honor this ruling.
You would imagine that Saudi Arabia would follow Trump's lead, but Iran seemingly have every right to deny the US president's strange power play, keeping the name as they believe it should rightfully be.