Iran to sue Google over dropping Persian Gulf

TEHRAN - The Associated Press

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Iran says it will sue Google over dropping the name of the Persian Gulf on Google Maps.

The threat comes after the famous search engine left the body of water between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula nameless on its online map service.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says that if Google does not restore the name of the Persian Gulf, it will face "serious damages." Mehmanparast told the semiofficial Mehr news agency Thursday that Tehran has already warned Google of possible legal action.

Iranians are highly sensitive about the name of the body of water, which has historically and internationally been known as the Persian Gulf.

Some Arab states insist on calling it the Arabian Gulf. The issue has stirred up tensions between Iranians and Arabs.