#PersianGulf, enrichment confusion—and more
The Iranist for the week of May 9, 2025
THE هفت/SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
۱/1 Trump brings division as wide as the Persian Gulf
A May 7 report by the Associated Press claimed that President Donald Trump intended to rename the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf” or the “Gulf of Arabia” during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia next week, according to two unnamed US officials. Trump is traveling to the Middle East, where he will visit not just Saudi Arabia, but also Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which all lie on the body of water.
The news raised the ire of Iranians across the globe who view the Persian Gulf as a point of pride and part of their national identity. The report prompted criticism and condemnation from the likes of former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (X), actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi (X), Iran-based dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi (X), Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) (X) and Iranians across the political spectrum, including two Iranian-American organizations that have very different theories of change—one that advocates for regime change (and is closely aligned with Pahlavi), and one that promotes diplomacy (but faces allegations of being soft on the Islamic Republic). (X). Many are using the hashtag #PersianGulf (خلیج_فارس#) and posting original graphics to express their support for the historical name of the body of water:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments are noteworthy because he tried to blame neocons and not Trump himself:
“Let’s hope that the absurd rumors about the PERSIAN Gulf that are going around are no more than a disinformation campaign by “forever [war] warriors” to anger Iranians all over the world and agitate them. I am confident that @realdonaldtrump is aware that the name PERSIAN Gulf is centuries old and recognized by all cartographers and international bodies and was even used by all leaders of the region in their official communications until as recently as 1960’s… it will only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasion in Iran, the US and across the world.”
This is yet another instance of Araghchi knowing how to talk to the president.
According to CNN, “conversations regarding the change are ongoing, and it is still unclear when the president will make the announcement.” On May 7, similar comments were made by the president during an Oval Office event:
“They’re going to ask me about that when I get there, and I’ll have to make a decision. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I don’t know if feelings are going to be hurt.” (CNN)
The name “Persian Gulf” has been in use for over 2,500 years, dating back to when the ancient Greek historian Herodotus first recorded it. Separate from historical examples, it’s worth noting that Arlington National Cemetery has an entire section dedicated to the 1991 Persian Gulf War (arlingtoncemetery.mil). In 2012, the Islamic Republic threatened to sue Google over the company’s decision not to label the body of water on all of its maps. Depending on what country you are based in, its name changes—especially upon zooming in. Looking at the map from the United States, it reads “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf).”
Upon hearing the news, a relative of mine in Iran jokingly told me, “If Trump calls it ‘Arabian Gulf’ then we will call him ‘Biden’!” (X)
۲/2 To enrich, or not enrich, that is the question
WHEN ARE THE NEXT TALKS? Last week, Oman said the nuclear talks were rescheduled due to logistical reasons. However, an Iranian official told Reuters that a new date will be set “depending on the US approach.” A source familiar with the US negotiators said the United States “had never confirmed its participation” in a fourth round of talks but that negotiations would continue “in the near future.”
Iranian state media reported that the fourth round of talks would take place in Oman on May 11 for two days (Reuters). A source gave me the same date.
WHAT ARE US AND IRANIAN OFFICIALS SAYING? On May 1, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social:
“All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions. They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.” (X)
It's unclear how Trump would implement such a ban, given that China is Iran’s top oil buyer and the US-China relationship is strained over tariffs.
On the same day, during an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Iran's nuclear program. He said the following:
“And so that really is the path forward here. Iran simply needs to say we’ve agreed to no longer enrich, we’re going to have reactors because we want nuclear energy, and we’re going to import enriched uranium. This is an opportunity for them if they take it… And look, there’s a win here for Iran, okay? They can actually have real economic development, can have real investment in their country, but they have to walk away from sponsoring terrorists, they have to walk away from helping the Houthis, they have to walk away from building long-range missiles that have no purpose to exist other than having nuclear weapons, and they have to walk away from enrichment.” (state.gov)
On May 2, the Iranian foreign ministry condemned Trump’s comments on oil noting that the “continuation of illegal sanctions and pressure on the country’s trade and economic partners” were “further evidence justifying the Iranian nation’s deep mistrust and skepticism regarding the seriousness of the US about pursuing diplomacy.” (mfa.gov.ir)
On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defended Iran’s right to enrich uranium, posting on X:
“What I will say is that repeating falsehoods will not change basic facts. As a founding signatory to the NPT, Iran has every right to possess the full nuclear fuel cycle. Moreover, there are several NPT members which enrich uranium while wholly rejecting nuclear weapons.”
It's worth noting that countries like Brazil, Germany, and Japan also conduct enrichment without possessing nuclear weapons.
On May 4, Trump said in a Meet the Press interview with NBC News that he favored “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program, adding: “That’s all I’d accept. Now, there’s a new theory going out there that Iran would be allowed to have civilian—meaning to make electricity and to—but I say, you know, they have so much oil, what do they need it for?”
When asked again if “total dismantlement” was his “bottom line,” Trump then elaborated:
“I think that I would be open to hearing it, you know? Civilian energy, it’s called. But you know, civilian energy often leads to military wars. And we don’t wanna have them have a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple deal. I want Iran to be really successful, really great, really fantastic. The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon.”
On May 7, Vice President J.D. Vance said at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington that talks are “on the right pathway.” He added:
“We think that there is a deal here that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy, that would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon… We don’t care if people want nuclear power. We’re fine with that, but you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon, and that’s where we draw the line.” (ucsb.edu)
On the same day, President Trump was asked about whether Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium, to which he responded:
“We haven’t made that decision yet. We will, but we haven’t made that decision yet.” (Wall Street Journal)
Hours later, during an interview on conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, President Trump said, “I would much prefer a strong, verified deal where we actually blow them up… or just de-nuke them. There are only two alternatives there, blow them up nicely or blow them up viciously.” (Times of Israel)
And thus, confusion continues over whether the Trump administration will allow Tehran to enrich.
NEW NUCLEAR SITE? On May 8, Fox News exclusively reported that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the political wing of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK)—a formerly designated terrorist organization—claimed that they had found a clandestine nuclear facility in northern Semnan province. According to the report, the facility’s primary function is the extraction and use of tritium, a radioactive isotope critical for boosting the yield of nuclear weapons. However, the MEK now denies that the facility is producing tritium (X).
Experts like the President and Founder of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) David Albright argue that there “needs more justification or explanation” as he does not “see evidence of such activities at the sites shown,” though “the security is suspicious.” (X) In 2010, the group made similar allegations about a facility near Tehran, but US officials stated they were already aware of the site and had no reason to believe it was related to nuclear activity.
MORE DETAILS ON WALTZ’S DEPARTURE Last week, news broke that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was leaving his role to become United Nations ambassador (if he is confirmed). A known Iran hawk, he advocated for the full dismantlement of the country’s nuclear program (also known as the Libya model). The New York Times reported that the MAGA wing of the Trump administration saw him as too establishment and hawkish on issues like Iran and Russia.
However, according to the Washington Post:
“Waltz also upset Trump after an Oval Office visit in early February by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the national security adviser appeared to share the Israeli leader’s conviction that the time was ripe to strike Iran… Waltz appeared to have engaged in intense coordination with Netanyahu about military options against Iran ahead of an Oval Office meeting between the Israeli leader and Trump.”
Trump reportedly heard about it and wasn’t happy. In what appeared to be a response to the news about Netanyahu and Waltz coordinating, the Iranian foreign minister wrote on X:
“Netanyahu is attempting to brazenly DICTATE what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran. The world has also learned how Netanyahu is directly MEDDLING within the US Government to DRAG it into another DISASTER in our region. Netanyahu CONNED the Failed Biden Team into handing over UNPRECEDENTED 23 BILLION American Taxpayer Dollars… If the goal is ‘The only thing they can't have is a nuclear weapon’ as President Trump just said, a deal is achievable and there is only ONE PATH to achieve it: DIPLOMACY based on MUTUAL RESPECT and MUTUAL INTERESTS.”
Meanwhile, on May 8, President Trump met with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, to discuss Iran and the Gaza war (Axios).
۳/3 Terror plot by Tehran foiled against Israeli embassy in London
The Iranian foreign ministry rejected the accusations brought by Britain (Times of Israel).
۵/5 The latest on the #BandarAbbas explosion
Last week, a devastating explosion rocked the Shahid Rajaee port in the southern city of Bandar Abbas. The blast in Hormozgan province occurred in a warehouse owned by the Avanar Parsian company, killing at least 70 people and injuring over a thousand (READ HERE). The number of confirmed dead has since been revised to fifty-seven, and of the 1,000 injured, at least thirty have sustained eye injuries (IranWire/IranWire). The search for the dead ended on May 3, despite reports of eleven still missing (IranWire/IranWire). Families of the victims blocked access roads to the port to protest the authorities and their slow identification efforts. The exact cause of the blast has not yet been disclosed.
Since the port blast, there have been a series of unexplained explosions in different locations around Iran, as noted here, here, and here. However, it’s important to emphasize that “not everything that goes boom in the night is sabotage,” as the director of the Iran program at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Raz Zimmt argued in a 2020 piece.
۴/4 Iran played a role in the Houthi ceasefire
On April 30, before the ceasefire was announced, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X:
Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the US Military is capable of—and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”
۶/6 Iran tries to mediate between India and Pakistan
۷/7 Trump reportedly called Khamenei ‘azizam’ in letter
Yes, like the Ed Sheeran song…
According to a 2018 Politico report, Trump described then-President Hassan Rouhani as “an absolutely lovely man!”
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human Rights
۰ Mahboobeh Rezaei and Reza Mohammad-Hosseini receive 5 years in prison after retrial (HRANA)
۰ Labor activist Younes Azadbar arrested by IRGC (IranWire)
۰ Four teachers’ union activists held without charge after may day protest (HRANA)
۰ Legal case filed against family of slain protester (IranWire)
۰ Father who killed daughter released after three months (IranWire)
۰ Teacher killed by husband in street attack (IranWire)
۰ Political prisoner warns against rising executions (IranWire)
۰ ‘No to Execution’ campaign continues for 67th week in 41 prisons (IranWire)
۰ ‘We are alive, but in captivity’: Letter from imprisoned Kurdish labor activist (CHRI)
۰ ‘Blood runs in corridors, sewage flows in cells’: Inside Sepidar women’s prison (IranWire)
Domestic Issues
۰ Uneven Tehran blackouts spark debate on social equity in energy access (Iran International)
۰ Power outage to Iran gov’t offices (Jerusalem Post)
۰ National water museum closed to make way for Quran museum (Iran International)
۰ ‘Hope in every move’: How dance becomes protest in Iran (IranWire)
Foreign Policy + Security
۰ Iran says it will strike back if US or Israel attack (Reuters)
۰Iran unveils new solid-fueled ballistic missile, state TV reports (AP)
۰ Strategic retreat or tactical pause: Is Iran shifting support away from its regional proxies? (New Arab)
۰ Putin discussed Iran-US talks with Tehran, Kremlin says (Reuters)
۰ Ethiopia, Iran police chiefs sign security, intelligence collaboration MoU (Addis Standard)
Iran Deal + Sanctions
۰ ‘JCPOA 2’: New US-Iran nuke deal said shaping up as largely similar to one Trump ended (Times of Israel)
۰ How Trump blindsided Netanyahu with his Iran nuclear gamble (Reuters)
۰ Iran opposition cautiously optimistic amid US nuclear talks (DW)
۰ Trump’s new sanctions threat looks past Iran to target China (Wall Street Journal)
۰ Chinese plastic makers risk losing Iran supply on US crackdown (Bloomberg)
۰ Turkish bank appeals Iran sanctions decision to US Supreme Court (Reuters)
۰ Washington leans on Iraqi banks to choke Iran’s dollar supply (New Arab)
Arts + Culture
۰ Surreal, dazzling visuals form an Iranian expat’s tribute to defiance back home (Aeon)