Iran to Airlines: Call it Persian Gulf

(AP)  Airlines not referring to the waterway between Iran and the Arabian peninsula as the Persian Gulf will be banned from Iranian airspace, the transport minister told local media Monday.

The warning was directed specifically toward the airlines of neighboring Gulf Arab countries who have a history of referring to the body of water as the "Arabian Gulf."

"The airlines of the southern Persian gulf countries flying to Iran must use 'Persian Gulf' on their flight monitors," Hamid Behbahani told the IRAN daily.

Airlines ignoring the warning would be banned from Iranian airspace, while repeat offenders would have their planes grounded in Iran and "the companies' flight permits to Iran canceled."

The report said Iran expelled a Greek flight attendant from the private Iranian airline, Kish Air, for using "Arabian Gulf" on a monitor over the weekend.

Iranians are traditionally sensitive over the historic name of the waterway between Iran and seven Arab nations.

Last month the Saudi-based Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation said it canceled the Islamic Solidarity Games in April because its Iranian host planned to use Persian Gulf on banners and medals.

In 2004, Iran banned American National Geographic for using Arabian Gulf instead of the Persian Gulf. In 2005, National Geographic revised its world atlas use Persian.

[mrjustice1]

Just for that Achmad-nut-Jihad, we're gonna call it either Gulf of Bahrain, Gulf of Kuwait, Emirates Gulf, or Gulf of Brooklyn!

[jt92202]

So why doesn't he change the name of Iran back to Persia, it was changed in 1935!

By the way who made him king of the Airlines or even the world for that matter (he thinks)! He's got little man syndrome!! It's funny how it's not just the west that he hates he hates everyone, an equal opportunity hater!!

[mrjustice1]

They changed Persia into Iran, meaning 'Land of the Aryans', in admiration of the German Nazis with whom they cooperated.

[see Wikipedia]

[mrjustice1]

IRAN'S MANIACAL AYATOLLAS AND PRESIDENT AHMADINEJIHAD ACTUALLY WANT A WAR

GO TO:

http://current.com/items/92198160_does-iran-actually-want-a-war-with-israel-so-that-the-mahdi-can-return.htm

Very warped and sick religious extremist minds!

[didserve]

Hey ackmindinajock! they can call it what they want you dicktater spud! I hope you get what you got coming to you even if Israel has to do it!

[taxchurches]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not mentioned anywhere in this story. Why is there a picture of him here?

[empress1231]

Gee, where are those 300 guys when there is another Persian who needs to be sat down??

[zippiez]

How about: Middle Finger of Indian Ocean

[luvheat]

sorry for the repeat post...this website sux and laggy as hell

[luvheat]

I mean really...who really cares? Persia and it's people no longer exist. They are now iranians and like back during the "cold war" the majority of the soviet union WERE NOT communist. I think most of iranians want a more western lifestyle than that which is imposed on them by they're tyrannical/dictatorship of a government. A body of water is what it is...water...who cares if it's called Persian or Arabian? Not I

[luvheat]

I mean really...who really cares? Persia and it's people no longer exist. They are now iranians and like back during the "cold war" the majority of the soviet union WERE NOT communist. I think most of iranians want a more western lifestyle than that which is imposed on them by they're tyrannical/dictatorship of a government. A body of water is what it is...water...who cares if it's called Persian or Arabian? Not I