Dear Ms. Margarita Simonyan, a recent social-media post published by RT on X (formerly Twitter) has employed the designation “Arabian Gulf” in place of the internationally and historically established name “Persian Gulf,” and raised concerns among Iranian readers, scholars, and media observers.

It was especially surprising to see such mistake being made by RT. Iran has long anticipated such politicized nomenclature from certain Western media outlets, often driven by hostility or ideological antagonism. However, the appearance of this terminology in a Russian state-affiliated media platform was unexpected and unprecedented.

Russia and Iran maintain a strategic partnership across political, economic, and media spheres. RT maintains active news operations covering Iran and the region; indeed, RT has reported from Tehran and has maintained a bureau presence. That operational relationship makes accurate terminology especially important to preserve mutual trust and the professional standards of international reporting.

It need not be overstated that accuracy in naming is not a marginal issue. Geographic names carry historical memory for the communities whose collective identities have been shaped by the continuous use of place names. For Iranians, the name “Persian Gulf” is not merely a preference; it is a documented historical reality recognized across civilizations and centuries.

Even if we look at it historically, the Persian Gulf is not merely a contemporary political label. The term Persian Gulf is grounded in a long continuum of geographic, historical and cartographic usage. Geological studies indicate that the primitive form of the inlet developed along the southern Iranian plateau as a consequence of tectonic interactions between the African and Eurasian plates roughly half a million years ago. Ancient and classical records subsequently associated the waters of this inlet with Persia: local inscriptions from the Achaemenid period, accounts of Hellenistic navigators, and successive Greek and Roman geographers consistently employed names equivalent to “Persian Gulf.” That usage continued through the Islamic period — where medieval geographers and chroniclers used Bahr al-Fars or Khalij al-Farsi — and into the modern era, when international maps, naval charts and reference works continued to adopt the name “Persian Gulf.” For these reasons many Iranians regard the correct use of the name as a matter of historical fact and of national sensitivity. 

It is also important to note how the alternative term “Arabian Gulf” came into currency. Its application to this body of water is a modern, politicized innovation of the mid-twentieth century rather than a continuation of classical or medieval naming practice as the name historically referred to the Red Sea. The politicization of geographic names is by its nature sensitive: once a neutral label acquires partisan connotations it ceases to be merely an editorial choice and becomes a political signal. 

Friends and partners are held to higher standards than adversaries. It is precisely because of the importance Iran places on its relationship with Russia, and because of RT’s established presence in Iran, that this matter warrants attention. One trusts that RT will treat it accordingly—by correcting the mistake and ensuring that such an error does not recur.

In doing so, RT would affirm not only historical truth, but also the mutual respect that underpins enduring partnerships.