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

See Examples For:

Persian Gulf

Instead he said there would be future direct investments from Persian Gulf states in the U.S., but the president stopped short of offering any details.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

During the conflict, Iran sought to assert its sovereignty over the strait, including by establishing the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority", which it said would manage "safe passage permits".

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

While it has managed to move barrels out of the Persian Gulf and send tankers to a transfer hub off the coast of Malaysia, global buyers remained skittish.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The southern channel helped exports of crude from the Persian Gulf rebound to 9.5 million barrels a day by early this week, more than half their prewar levels, according to Kpler.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

My oldest son, he fought in the first Persian Gulf conflict.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander