Persian Gulf

American  

noun

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

---

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)

---

Persian Gulf Cultural  

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

---

Discover More

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

Also, ship owners might hesitate to send vessels back into the Persian Gulf amid concerns the cease-fire could collapse, potentially leaving ships stranded once again, according to the analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

However, analysts at the bank led by Henri Patricot noted that within the Persian Gulf, “crude and products loadings remained extremely low.”

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Meanwhile, the US Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned Iran's newly formed "Persian Gulf Strait Authority", set up by Tehran to oversee traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Early in the war, the Pentagon held up delivery of 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles to Japan, rerouting them to the Persian Gulf region.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

On the opening day of the war game, Blue Team poured tens of thousands of troops into the Persian Gulf.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell