Persian Gulf

American  

noun

1. an arm of the Arabian Sea, between SW Iran and Arabia. 600 miles (965 km) long.

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Persian Gulf British  

noun

1. a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea between SW Iran and Arabia: linked with the Arabian Sea by the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman; important for the oilfields on its shores. Area: 233 000 sq km (90 000 sq miles)

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Persian Gulf Cultural  

1. Arm of the Indian Ocean between Arabia and Iran.

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The Persian Gulf oil fields are among the most productive in the world.

The Persian Gulf region was dominated by Britain for most of the twentieth century. After Britain's withdrawal in the late 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for influence in the region. (See Persian Gulf War.)

Example Sentences

Mizuho’s Robert Yawger sees it as unlikely that vessels from other producing countries in the Persian Gulf will try to cross the strait amid the standoff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Saudi Arabia, for example, has its East-West pipeline which runs from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea and can pump up to 7 million barrels of oil per day.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Iran has said no port in the Sea of Oman and Persian Gulf would be safe if its ports are threatened, The Wall Street Journal reported External link, citing Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Within days, Zelenskyy extended similar agreements to the UAE and Qatar, sweeping the western shore of the Persian Gulf in a single diplomatic sprint.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Aboard a ship called the Star Castor he saw the Persian Gulf, Japan, Australia, and Baltimore.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers